Xiamen Customs officers supervise parcels destined for Brazil. [Photo/Xiamen Daily]

Xiamen Customs recently released data showing that in the time between the 2017 BRICS Xiamen Summit and the end of September 2024, Xiamen's total trade with BRICS countries amounted to 539.45 billion yuan ($75.6 billion). Of this, imports were valued at 361.99 billion yuan, while exports were valued at 177.46 billion yuan.

Xiamen's exports to BRICS countries mainly consist of electromechanical products and labor-intensive products, while imports are primarily focused on energy and mineral resources.

As major emerging markets, BRICS countries are crucial nodes in the global supply chain and a significant driving force behind global economic development. 

Xiamen has long seized upon opportunities for cooperation with BRICS countries, leveraging the BRICS PartNIR Innovation Center to capitalize on its advantages as a hub for land, sea, and air transportation, building platforms and facilitating logistics channels. The city also encourages enterprises to accelerate their expansion into overseas markets.

On July 31, as trade between Xiamen and other BRICS countries continues to deepen, the first cross-border e-commerce air route between Xiamen and a BRICS city, namely Sao Paulo, saw the number of exported parcels surpass 10 million for the year to date. 

On Oct 18, the first national direct flight route between the BRICS cities of Xiamen and Durban, South Africa, which was established for the BRICS Summit cities, had been operating smoothly for 10 years, with 29.2 billion yuan in imports and exports shipped via the route.