In the latest release of the 2022 China Top 100 Foreign Trade Cities list issued by the country's General Administration of Customs, seven cities from East China's Anhui province secured prestigious spots: Hefei, Wuhu, Anqing, Bengbu, Chuzhou, Ma'anshan and Huangshan.
They were recognized for their outstanding performance in foreign trade, particularly in the light of the changes that were made to the evaluation criteria.
During this year's selection process, the introduction of an "Innovation Competitiveness" index replaced the previous "Development Competitiveness" index – considering factors such as the proportion of exports of independent brands and the scale of emerging trade formats.
In addition, the evaluation criteria were fine-tuned to include aspects such as the environmental benefits of exports and a spatial price index.
The additions assessed the green and low-carbon levels of urban foreign trade development and measured the overall grade and added value of a city's independent exports – emphasizing the comprehensive, scientific nature of the entire assessment process.