General

The reporter learned from the Guangdong Branch of the General Administration of Customs that from January to May this year, Guangdong's foreign trade imports and exports amounted to 3.19 trillion yuan, a slight decrease of 0.7% year-on-year. Among them, exports reached 2.13 trillion yuan, an increase of 4.8%; Import reached 1.06 trillion yuan, a decrease of 10.2%. The main characteristics are as follows:

Firstly, general trade has maintained growth. According to import and export data, from January to May, Guangdong's general trade import and export reached 1.86 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.5%, accounting for 58.3% of Guangdong's total import and export value. During the same period, the import and export of processing trade reached 728.91 billion yuan, a decrease of 12.3%, accounting for 22.9%; The import and export of bonded logistics reached 533.11 billion yuan, an increase of 8%, accounting for 16.7%.

Secondly, private enterprises play a dominant role in stabilizing foreign trade. According to import and export data, from January to May, the import and export of Guangdong private enterprises reached 1.93 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.7%, accounting for 60.5% of Guangdong's total import and export value, an increase of 4.2 percentage points compared to the same period last year. During the same period, foreign-invested enterprises imported and exported 1.08 trillion yuan, accounting for 33.8%; The import and export of state-owned enterprises amounted to 178.09 billion yuan, accounting for 5.6%.

The third is the continuous development of trade with emerging markets. According to import and export data, from January to May, Guangdong's imports and exports to major trading partners ASEAN, EU, and Hong Kong increased by 5.2%, 0.03%, and 0.4% respectively; The import and export to countries along the "the Belt and Road" increased by 8%, accounting for 29% of the total import and export value. In addition, imports and exports to Mexico, Brazil, and Chile in Latin America increased by 6.9%, 34.1%, and 8.4%, respectively.

The fourth is the significant growth of new three types and agricultural product exports. Import and export data shows that from January to May, the export of mechanical and electrical products in Guangdong increased by 1.9%, accounting for 65.7% of Guangdong's total foreign trade export value. Green and low-carbon products have injected strong new momentum into Guangdong's foreign trade exports, with exports of electric passenger cars, lithium batteries, and solar cells increasing by 7.8 times, 31.7%, and 79.5%, respectively. Guangdong's agricultural product exports increased by 27.1%, with exports of dried and fresh fruits and vegetables increasing by 52.1% and 22.3%, respectively.

The fifth is the growth of imports of bulk commodities and consumer goods. The overall economic performance of Guangdong continues to improve, with strong demand for bulk commodities. Import and export data shows that from January to May, imports of iron ore, coal, copper ore, and other minerals increased by 26.8%, 26.3%, and 4.4 times, respectively. The rebound in social retail consumption has driven the import of pearls, gemstones, semi precious stones, and jewelry to increase by 8.6% and 8.5 times respectively; The import of meat, aquatic products, and dairy products increased by 26.1%, 23.1%, and 14% respectively.

Overall, the pressure on Guangdong's foreign trade imports and exports is still significant. Driven by favorable factors such as the gradual recovery of market demand, sustained efforts to stabilize foreign trade policies, and increasing confidence in business entities, Guangdong's foreign trade will continue to maintain development resilience, showing an overall stable and slightly fluctuating trend on a monthly basis.