Shanghai's exports surged by 13.8 percent year on year in the first four months, with April's total import and export value hitting a record high, Shanghai Customs data showed on Thursday.

The city's total foreign trade reached 1.4 trillion yuan (US$194.7 billion) from January to April, an increase of 1 percent year on year. In April alone, imports and exports hit 399.35 billion yuan, rising more than 10 percent both year on year and month on month. Exports for the month grew 17.2 percent on the year, while imports climbed 8.1 percent.

Private enterprises, accounting for more than 70 percent of Shanghai's total number of foreign trade firms during the four-month period, served as a key driver. Their import and export value exceeded 500 billion yuan, up more than 20 percent annually and indicating robust growth momentum.

Shanghai traded with over 200 countries and regions during the four-month period, registering growth with 166 partners. Trade with Belt and Road partner countries reached almost 600 billion yuan, an annual increase of 11.9 percent, while trade with the Middle East and Eastern Europe recorded growth exceeding 20 percent.

Exports of mechanical and electrical products totaled 398.8 billion yuan, accounting for over 60 percent of the city's total exports during the period. Imports of consumer goods bolstered the domestic supply. Meat and cooking oil imports climbed over 10 percent yearly, while specialty foods like Afghan nuts, Italian chocolate, Irish dairy products and Ethiopian coffee expanded the culinary options available to Chinese consumers.

The resilience of foreign trade is closely tied to a favorable business environment, which Shanghai Customs has been continuously working to improve over the past eight years. In its latest effort to create a safe, convenient, and efficient port business environment, Shanghai Customs launched a special action plan for 2025 to facilitate cross-border trade, which includes 33 specific measures in five aspects.

• Firstly, it will accelerate the customs clearance pace for key commodities, including the "new three" export categories – new-energy vehicles (NEVs), lithium-ion batteries, and photovoltaic products – and agricultural and food products. It will also pilot the intelligent inspection of packaging for exported lithium batteries, and conduct trial programs for the classification inspection of medical devices and tiered supervision of enterprises.
• Secondly, it will further enhance the quality and efficiency of cross-border logistics. Leveraging Shanghai Port's advantage of being the world's top container port for 15 consecutive years and Pudong International Airport's second place in global air cargo business, it will continue to expand multimodal transportation services.
• Thirdly, it will further optimize regulatory processes to match various business types. Focusing on the demands of enterprises, it will enhance the application of various digital technologies, reengineer business processes, and upgrade regulatory models.
• Fourthly, it will further promote interconnectivity between customs authorities, local governments, and enterprises, mainly focusing on strengthening coordinated governance with local governments and other customs authorities to systematically and comprehensively address the practical difficulties of enterprises.
• Last but not least, it will further enhance the precision and depth of services for enterprises by measures such as establishing "green channels" and "emergency channels," as well as launching the "Shanghai Customs E-Document System," etc.