According to the statistics of Qingdao Customs and Jinan Customs, since the reform and opening-up, the total import and export value of Shandong province has jumped from $3 million in 1980 to $263.06 billion in 2017, with an average annual increase of 35.7 percent.

The growth rate was 22.2 percentages higher than that of the whole country in the same period, and Shandong's share of national imports and exports ascended from 0.01 percent to 6.4 percent, steadily ranking sixth in the recent years in China.

To draw some lessons from the main achievements and experiences of Shandong's foreign trade since the reform and opening-up, the Information Office of Shandong province held a press conference on Nov 13, 2018.

The Qingdao Customs and Jinan Customs made joint efforts to study and analyze the course, characteristics, advantages and development space of Shandong province, hoping to provide a reference for Shandong to open wider to the outside world and realize high quality development of foreign trade.

During the 40 years of reform and opening-up , Shandong province has kept pace with the trend of the times, firmly grasping the historical opportunity to expand the exchanges with other regions and countries of the world, to realize the vigorous development of foreign trade.

The exports soared from $26,000 to $147.1 billion, with an average annual growth of 52.3 percent. The number is 38.3 percent higher than that of the whole country and takes up 6.5 percent of the national exports from almost zero.

On the other hand, rising to $115.96 billion from $3 million, the imports reached an annual growth rate of 32.7 percent, 19.7 percent higher than the national figure, and the proportion climbed from 0.02 percent to 6.3 percent of the national total import.

Foreign trade plays an important role in the steady and rapid growth of the national economy. Especially after China's accession to the World Trade Organization, the dependence level on foreign trade of Shandong province has been promptly lifted and remained stable at more than 30 percent for a long time, reaching a historical peak of 37.4 percent in 2007.

Due to the economic restructuring and upgrading, foreign trade dependence once went downhill but still maintained a high level ever since, coming at 24.78 percent in 2017.

The Information Office of Shandong province holds a press conference on Nov 13, 2018 to introduce the achievements and experiences of Shandong's foreign trade since the reform and opening-up. [Photo/iqilu.com]

An employee oversees loading of containers at Qingdao Port, Shandong province. [Photo by Zhang Jingang/For China Daily]

Shoppers at an imported goods store at the bonded port area of Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by Yu Fangping/For China Daily]