Chongqing—According to data from the Chongqing Customs District on January 23, Chongqing's foreign trade reached 715.42 billion yuan ($98.77 billion) in 2024, a 0.4% year-on-year increase. This growth highlights the city's focus on quality and stability in external trade.

A shipment of imported frozen meat arrived in Chongqing via the China-Europe Railway Express on January 15, 2025. (Photo/Chongqing International Logistics Hub Park)

General trade imports and exports in the city reached 288.86 billion yuan, a 4% year-on-year increase, making up 40.4% of total foreign trade. Processing trade and bonded logistics totaled 273.71 billion yuan and 149.5 billion yuan, respectively. The city's comprehensive bonded zones saw imports and exports of 462.92 billion yuan, representing 64.7% of the total foreign trade value.

Private and foreign-invested enterprises continued to be the main drivers of Chongqing's foreign trade, with imports and exports reaching 323.37 billion yuan and 318.87 billion yuan, respectively. These two types of enterprises accounted for 89.8% of the city's total foreign trade value. 

Chongqing's trade "friendship circle" also expanded in 2024. ASEAN remained the city's largest trading partner, with imports and exports totaling 117.79 billion yuan, up 13.8% year-on-year. The European Union and the United States were the second and third largest trading partners, with imports and exports reaching 98.19 billion yuan and 78.49 billion yuan, respectively. 

In addition, Chongqing's imports and exports with countries involved in the Belt and Road initiative amounted to 326.38 billion yuan, up 0.8%. Enterprises also actively explored emerging markets in South Asia, the Middle East, and Russia, with imports and exports growing by 12.5%, 12.7%, and 10.7%, respectively.

In terms of specific products, Chongqing's exports of mechanical and electrical products reached 454.97 billion yuan, up 8.4% year over year, making them the city's main export commodity. The export value of laptops and motorcycles ranked first and third in the country, respectively. 

Electric vehicle exports also surged by 94% to 8.21 billion yuan. On the import side, integrated circuits accounted for 47.3% of the total import value, reaching 98.39 billion yuan. This underscores the importance of integrated circuits in supporting Chongqing's electronics manufacturing industry.

Notably, on January 24, a batch of 180,000 fresh eggs produced by Chongqing Ruisang Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. was successfully exported to the Hong Kong market for the first time.

Officers of Chongqing Customs District are conducting on-site supervision of fresh eggs destined for Hong Kong. (Photo/Chongqing Customs District)

Wang Meng, the head of the company, explained, "We focused on the local market before, and when we tried to enter the Hong Kong market, we lacked knowledge of customs clearance, access requirements, and certificate processing." He added, "Ensuring mulberry leaf eggs enter Hong Kong within the 3-5 day optimal consumption window was a major challenge."

To support smooth exports, Chongqing Customs District arranged multiple field visits by agricultural experts and assigned a dedicated liaison officer to guide the company through the export process. They implemented a comprehensive traceability system, thoroughly checking factory reports and ensuring compliance with standards on key items like Sudan red and salmonella.

"Customs' guidance has helped us address many issues, providing a solid foundation for expanding our exports and entering overseas markets," Wang said. "We expect our egg exports to Hong Kong to reach $10 million in 2025."