FOREIGN trade in Qingdao increased rapidly during the first eight months of this year. ??The imports and exports of city-level companies reached US$46.077 billion, increasing by 29.4 percent compared with the same period of last year. Among these, exports was US$26.168 billion, increasing by 24.1 percent, while imports reached US$19.090 billion, increasing by 37.1 percent. The export volume of the general trade reached US$13.046 billion in the first eight months, increasing by 30.5 percent, while the export volume for processing companies was US$11.854 billion, increasing by 20.6 percent. The export volume for private companies was US$10.6 billion, increasing by 31.2 percent, while exports for foreign companies was US$12.715 billion, increasing by 19.2 percent. In the eight months, imports for private companies reached US$6.682 billion, increasing by 58.7 percent, while imports for State-owned companies was US$6.029 billion, increasing by 41 percent. Meanwhile, imports for foreign companies was about US$7.197 billion, increasing by 19.2 percent. The export-oriented cargoes for other trading at the city’s bonded areas reached US$6.477 billion, increasing by 64.9 percent, while those for general trading were about US$8.37 billion, increasing by 33.6 percent. Both were higher than trading for the processing industry. Imports of iron, rubber, plastic material and cotton have increased sharply by 109.8 percent, 150.3 percent, 59.2 percent and 134.7 percent respectively year on year. (Wang Yuanyuan, Shen Junlin) | 