For the first five months of the year, the import-export volume for Fujian province reached 817.57 billion yuan, marking a year-on-year increase of 8.2% and setting a new five-year high for the same period. The growth of high-tech products was particularly notable, while the expansion of cross-border e-commerce and emerging markets showed significant results, supported by strengthened financial services and platform infrastructure.
From the perspective of product structure, efforts to deepen the integration of industry and trade have helped specialized and sophisticated enterprises, including high-tech firms, to expand their foreign trade operations, thereby continuously strengthening the province's international trade sector. During the January-May period, exports and imports of high-tech products in the province grew by 18.3% and 33.4%, respectively. Additionally, the number of active foreign trade entities with actual import-export performance increased by 5,907.
In terms of business model innovation, with support from departments such as taxation and customs, a cross-border e-commerce compliance service platform has been launched. Eighteen policy guidance sessions were jointly organized, serving enterprises over 1,100 times to promote the compliant development of new business entities. Concurrently, in collaboration with the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology and leading cross-border e-commerce platforms, an initiative to support high-quality enterprises within industrial clusters for cross-border e-commerce has been carried out. New overseas warehouse space added exceeded 350,000 square meters, bringing the total to 2.7 million square meters, ranking among the top nationally. From January to May, the "9810" cross-border e-commerce business model saw a year-on-year increase of over tenfold.
Market diversification has also progressed. By promoting the broader reach of "Fujian Products to the World," establishing platforms for procurement connections with overseas Chinese merchants, strengthening supply-demand matching, and expanding international marketing channels, the provincial commerce department has released a list of 513 market expansion exhibitions this year. It organized 4,178 enterprise participations in the Canton Fair and overseas exhibitions, generating nearly $1 billion in intended transactions. From January to May, Fujian's exports to countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, BRICS nations, and the African market grew by 7.2%, 10.1%, and 32.4%, respectively, indicating initial success in tapping into emerging markets.
Financial service support has been continuously enhanced. By collaborating with banks and credit insurance institutions, services such as export credit insurance and domestic trade insurance have been optimized, with increased financial support to help enterprises mitigate risks and reduce financing costs. This year, full-coverage insurance support for small and micro enterprises has benefited 6,408 companies, a record high. Interest subsidy support has been implemented for pure policy-based financing and newly approved loans for small, medium, and micro-sized foreign trade enterprises, benefiting nearly 2,000 companies.
The functionality of platform carriers continues to strengthen. The Fujian Pilot Free Trade Zone, leveraging its numerous nationally pioneering institutional innovations, continues to empower foreign trade development. Examples include the nation's first single window for maritime transport and the world's first guidelines for the safe transport of lithium batteries. Occupying just 0.1% of the province's area, the zone contributes to one-sixth of its total import-export volume. Efforts to implement measures for expanding and enhancing comprehensive bonded zones have progressed, with the Fuzhou Airport Comprehensive Bonded Zone becoming the province's first airport-type comprehensive bonded zone, continuously elevating the development level of new business models like bonded maintenance.