The total value of Shandong's imports and exports reached 617.71 billion yuan ($95.25 billion) in the first quarter of this year, up 38.9 percent over the same period last year, according to customs statistics.

Ships get ready for their voyages in the foreign trade container terminal of Qingdao Port in Shandong province. [Photo by Yu Fangping/For China Daily]

During the period, the province's exports were valued at 343.67 billion yuan, up 45.4 percent year-on-year, while its imports reached 274.04 billion yuan, up 31.6 percent.

In March, Shandong's imports and exports volume reached 231.87 billion yuan, up 38.3 percent year-on-year and 35.9 percent month-on-month.

In the first three months of the year, the import and export volume of Qingdao maintained its leading position among the 16 cities in Shandong, with foreign trade value hitting 177.93 billion yuan, up 31.6 percent year-on-year, accounting for 28.8 percent of the province's total.

The import and export value of 16 cities and prefectures in the province achieved double-digit growth. Notably, the growth rate of Linyi, Yantai and Dongying reached 74.4 percent, 69.1 percent and 54.9 percent respectively.

During this period, Shandong's general trade import and export reached 413.9 billion yuan, an increase of 36.5 percent, accounting for 67 percent of the province's total.

Private enterprises have remained as the backbone of the province's foreign trade. The imports and exports of private enterprises in Shandong reached 420.28 billion yuan in the first quarter of the year, an increase of 40.8 percent year-on-year, accounting for 68 percent of the province's total.

The imports and exports of foreign-invested enterprises in Shandong reached 141.74 billion yuan, up 37.2 percent, while the foreign trade of State-owned enterprises recorded 54.65 billion yuan, up 29.7 percent.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United States, the European Union (excluding the United Kingdom) and South Korea were the top four trading partners of Shandong during this period, with trade growth rates hitting 45.1 percent, 89.4 percent, 41.8 percent and 40 percent, respectively.

The province's trade with countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative hit 194.4 billion yuan, up 34.3 percent, accounting for 31.5 percent of the province's total.