On May 1, the reporter learned from the Municipal Bureau of Commerce that in the first quarter of 2025, Lanzhou's foreign trade import and export volume delivered a brilliant report card. According to statistics, from January to March, the city achieved a foreign trade import and export volume of 3.16 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 34.4%, ranking second in the capital cities of the five northwestern provinces, achieving a good start in the first quarter, laying a solid foundation for the high-quality development of foreign trade throughout the year.

In the first quarter, Lanzhou's characteristic and advantageous industries became an important engine for foreign trade growth. In terms of exports, mechanical and electrical products and agricultural products were exported 930 million yuan and 110 million yuan respectively, an increase of 51.2% and 3.1% respectively, accounting for 45% of the city's total export value during the same period. In terms of imports, agricultural products and mechanical and electrical products were imported 280 million yuan and 210 million yuan respectively, accounting for 57.6% of the city's total import value during the same period, and there was a strong demand for imports of commodities and key equipment.

In the first quarter of this year, the comprehensive bonded zone of Lanzhou New District achieved import and export volume of 1.31 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 36%, and completed bonded business of 520 million yuan, 1.2 times that of the whole year of 2024. The new district strives to promote the comprehensive bonded zone to stabilize the stock and expand the incremental volume, promote cooperation and smooth channels, improve the environment and create models, re-program the industrial plan of the comprehensive bonded zone, build a "2 2 2" leading functional layout, focus on the two pillar industries of processing and manufacturing, trade and logistics, two service formats of emerging international trade and "bonded " characteristic services, two economic forms of platform economy and port economy, focus on the development of various types of foreign trade businesses such as precious metals, and release radiation and driving effects.

Lanzhou City has deeply integrated into the "Belt and Road" initiative and continues to deepen trade exchanges with countries that have jointly built. In the first quarter, Lanzhou City and 83 countries and regions jointly built the "Belt and Road" have achieved an import and export volume of 1.72 billion yuan, accounting for 54.4% of the city's total import and export volume. It achieved import and export volume of 590 million yuan with 13 RCEP member countries, accounting for 18.7% of the city's total import and export volume, and achieved remarkable results in diversified international market layout.

Behind the "good start" of foreign trade, policy support and service innovation are inseparable. Since the beginning of this year, the Lanzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce has issued the "Implementation Plan for the "Stable Foreign Trade" in Lanzhou City in 2025", established a special team for foreign trade investment, and worked with the Lanzhou New District Comprehensive Bonded Zone and Gansu (Lanzhou) International Land Port to actively attract foreign trade enterprises and promote the integration of domestic and foreign trade to cultivate foreign trade business entities. In conjunction with customs, taxation and other departments, we provide convenient conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises to carry out foreign trade business by simplifying customs clearance procedures and implementing tax refund facilitation and other measures.

The reporter learned that with the acceleration of the construction of the Western Land-Sea New Corridor and the continued release of dividends of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), Lanzhou's foreign trade is expected to maintain a steady and positive trend. Lanzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce will continue to provide good corporate services, help enterprises explore the international market, and further expand the "circle of friends" of open cooperation.