In a significant milestone, Guangdong's foreign trade exports have exceeded 2.5 trillion yuan in the first half of 2023, reaching an all-time high for the same period. According to statistics from the Guangdong Sub-administration of GACC, the province's foreign trade reached 3.86 trillion yuan, showing a slight decline of 1.3% compared to the previous year.

Driving this growth are the increased exports of the"new three things" of foreign trade (electric passenger vehicles, lithium batteries and solar cells) and agricultural products. During the first six months of the year, Guangdong's mechanical and electrical product exports accounted for 65.7% of the total export value, reaching 1.7 trillion yuan. Among these, electrical equipment, integrated circuits, and general machinery equipment saw impressive export growth rates of 12.3%, 22.9%, and 11.9%, respectively. The export of the "new three things" of foreign trade witnessed remarkable increases of 7 times, 27.7%, and 57%.

Additionally, agricultural product exports experienced a notable surge of 23.9%, with dried and fresh fruits, as well as vegetables, contributing significantly with growth rates of 56.1% and 8.3%, respectively.

The continuous optimization of Guangdong's trade structure has led to a rise in the proportion of general trade. The province's general trade import and export reached 2.2 trillion yuan, marking a 5.4% increase and accounting for 58% of the total trade value. This represents a 3.6-percentage-point rise compared to the same period last year.

In terms of the major players in foreign trade, private enterprises have expanded their import and export scale. There were 108,000 companies demonstrating import and export activities in the first half of the year, with an 8.9% increase compared to the previous year, setting a new historical record. Among them, private enterprises achieved a total import and export value of 2.3 trillion yuan, registering a 5.7% growth and raising their share in foreign trade to 60.2%, a 4-percentage-point increase. Foreign-invested enterprises, on the other hand, accounted for 1.3 trillion yuan in imports and exports, constituting 34.1% of the total.

Since the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Guangdong's trade partners have become more diverse, and Guangdong enjoys a faster import and export growth rates in countries and regions along the Belt and Road Initiative. During the first half of the year, Guangdong's imports and exports with its largest trading partner, ASEAN, reached 639.16 billion yuan, showing a growth of 3.6% and accounting for 16.6% of the total. Trade with the European Union stood at 469.38 billion yuan, comprising 12.2%, and with the United States, it reached 461.18 billion yuan, making up 12%. Meanwhile, trade with countries along the Belt and Road Initiative saw a remarkable 7.4% increase, outpacing the overall growth rate by 8.7 percentage points. Notably, trade with Russia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Central Asia surged by 64%, 11.9%, 9.2%, and 48.4%, respectively.

In terms of imports, there has been an upswing in demand for bulk commodities and consumer goods. In the first half of the year, Guangdong's imports of energy products, such as crude oil, natural gas, and coal, reached 35.72 million tons, reflecting a 36.5% increase. The province also imported 32.58 million tons of metal ores, including iron, aluminum, and copper, which saw a growth rate of 21.4%. The strong demand from residents has stimulated the import growth of various consumer goods. For instance, Guangdong's jewelry imports skyrocketed by 10.1 times, while imports of meat, seafood, and dairy products surged by 25.4%, 23.1%, and 10.1%, respectively.

上半年广东外贸出口首次突破2.5万亿元，“新三样”和农产品释放外贸新动能

据海关总署广东分署统计，今年上半年，广东出口规模首次突破2.5万亿元，再创历史同期新高。广东省外贸进出口3.86万亿元人民币，同比（下同）下降1.3%。

“新三样”、农产品出口成为外贸增长新动能。上半年，广东机电产品出口1.7万亿元，占出口总值的65.7%；其中，电工器材、集成电路、通用机械设备出口分别增长12.3%、22.9%、11.9%。电动载人汽车、锂电池、太阳能电池等“新三样”出口分别增长7倍、27.7%、57%。

此外，农产品出口增长23.9%，其中，干鲜瓜果、蔬菜出口分别增长56.1%、8.3%。

广东贸易结构不断优化，一般贸易比重提升。上半年，广东一般贸易进出口2.2万亿元，增长5.4%，占进出口总值的58%，较去年同期提升3.6个百分点。

从外贸主体看，民营企业进出口规模扩大。上半年，有进出口实绩的企业10.8万家，增加8.9%，企业数量创历史同期新高。其中，民营企业进出口2.3万亿元，增长5.7%，外贸占比提升4个百分点至60.2%。同期，外商投资企业进出口1.3万亿元，占34.1%。

RCEP实施以来，贸易伙伴更加多元，对“一带一路”沿线国家和地区进出口增速较快。上半年，广东对第一大贸易伙伴东盟进出口6391.6亿元，增长3.6%，占进出口总值的16.6%；对欧盟进出口4693.8亿元，占12.2%；对美国进出口4611.8亿元，占12%。同期，对“一带一路”沿线国家进出口增长7.4%，高出整体增速8.7个百分点。此外，对俄罗斯、拉美、中东、中亚分别增长64%、11.9%、9.2%、48.4%。

从进口来看，大宗商品、消费品进口需求上升。上半年，广东进口原油、天然气、煤炭等能源产品3572.1万吨，增加36.5%；进口铁、铝、铜等金属矿砂3258.2万吨，增加21.4%。居民消费需求旺盛带动各类消费品进口增长，上半年，广东首饰进口增长10.1倍；肉类、水产品、乳品进口分别增长25.4%、23.1%、10.1%。

文、图丨羊城晚报全媒体记者 汪海晏 通讯员 陈琳 何楚珊
翻译丨刘佳慧
责编丨古司祺
校对丨周勇