According to data released by the customs, the import and export volume of Shandong in the first four months of this year was 615.1 billion yuan, a decrease of 2.6% compared with the same period last year. Among them, exports were 334.42 billion yuan, an increase of 0.9%; imports were 277.68 billion yuan, a decrease of 6.4%.

With the success of the trade diversification strategy, in the first 4 months, Shandong’s imports and exports related to countries in “the Belt and Road Initiative” reached 19,618 million yuan, an increase of 10.3%, accounting for 31% of Shandong’s total imports and exports over the same period.

This situation has also been confirmed from the operation data of China-Europe trains. According to customs statistics, in the first 4 months of this year, the "Qilu" China-Europe trains have accumulated 463 trains, a year-on-year increase of 44.2%. 

The spread of the epidemic overseas highlights the world's dependence on "Made in China". China's domestic manufacturing industry has continued to recover, and Shandong's efforts to promote epidemic prevention and economic and social development have also achieved remarkable results, which has promoted the delivery of export orders.

It is worth noting that due to the impact of the epidemic, with the shrinking external demand and the pressure of high stocks, Shandong ’s foreign trade imports and exports may be subject to the second impact and more serious challenges of the global epidemic, and there are still uncertainties in the short term.