Mandula Port in Baotou [Photo/WeChat account of Baotou Daily]

Baotou, a major city in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has made notable achievements in expanding high-level opening-up by promoting the development of the Belt and Road Initiative, local media reported.

From January to November in 2022, the city's total imports and exports reached 21.97 billion yuan ($3.23 billion), ranking second in the autonomous region, according to statistics from Baotou Customs. Specifically, exports reached 10.69 billion yuan, ranking first in the autonomous region, while imports stood at 11.28 billion yuan.

Since the start of 2022, the city's commodity structure has been gradually optimized, and the export of rare earth and its products, the import and export of mechanical and electrical products and the import and export of high-tech products have increased significantly.

The vitality of international trade was also further stimulated, and imports and exports among private enterprises increased rapidly, accounting for a higher proportion of the city's total foreign trade.

The import and export trade model continued to be optimized, and international economic and trade exchanges continued to deepen. Trade exchanges with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative became much more frequent. From January to November in 2022, trade with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative increased further, with total imports and exports reaching 8.43 billion yuan.

On Nov 24, 2022, the State Council approved Baotou to establish a comprehensive cross-border e-commerce pilot zone, marking a major breakthrough in the establishment of a new platform for opening-up in the city.

Officials said that Baotou will seize the opportunity to accelerate the construction of the cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zone. At present, the construction of cross-border e-commerce public service platform and infrastructure of the sorting center have been completed.

At an investment promotion meeting held in Shanghai on Dec 20, Baotou inked three cooperation agreements with a contract value of around 8.55 billion yuan.