In an interview on October 23, 2023, Shijiazhuang Customs Deputy Director and spokesperson Shi Jinfeng highlighted the strengthening trade cooperation between Hebei Province and ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations). He noted that ASEAN has maintained its position as one of Hebei’s top four trading partners for the past decade. The trade volume between Hebei and ASEAN has surged from 37.11 billion yuan (approximately $5.1 billion) in 2014 to 73.48 billion yuan (around $10.1 billion) in 2023, reflecting an average annual growth rate of 9.6%.
During a press conference hosted by the Hebei provincial government on the same day, Shi stated that the province’s overall foreign trade had shown steady growth in the first three quarters of the year, demonstrating resilience amid a complex and volatile international landscape. The total import and export value for Hebei in the first three quarters reached 462.43 billion yuan (about $65.5 billion), marking a year-on-year increase of 12.9%, significantly higher than the national average of 7.6%.
Shi detailed that in the same period, Hebei’s trade with ASEAN reached 61.24 billion yuan (approximately $8.6 billion), a remarkable increase of 25.7%, outpacing the province’s overall growth rate of 12.8%. He identified Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand as the top three trading partners, collectively accounting for 64.3% of Hebei’s trade with ASEAN. The province’s exports in emerging sectors have been robust, with notable increases in the export of computer integrated manufacturing technology, electronic components, and electric vehicles, which grew by 87.6%, 35.1%, and 16.8%, respectively. Additionally, imports from ASEAN included fresh durian, valued at 3.32 billion yuan, which saw a staggering year-on-year increase of 130%.
In the first three quarters, Hebei also diversified its markets, achieving positive trade growth with 130 countries and regions globally. Notably, trade with Australia reached 64.47 billion yuan (about $9 billion), up 11.8%, while trade with the European Union totaled 52.39 billion yuan (approximately $7.4 billion), an increase of 22.3%. Trading with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative amounted to 221.7 billion yuan, accounting for 47.9% of the province’s total trade, and trade with other members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) reached 154.18 billion yuan, making up 33.3% of the total.
