Baotou customs has reported that from January to May this year, the total value of Baotou's foreign trade reached 13.96 billion yuan ($1.92 billion), a year-on-year increase of 13.5 percent. Exports were valued at 6.1 billion yuan, growing by 18.6 percent, while imports reached 7.86 billion yuan, up by 9.8 percent.

State-owned enterprises remain the main force in foreign trade in Baotou. In the first five months, the value of the city's State-owned enterprises' imports and exports totaled 7.29 billion yuan, an increase of 7.8 percent and accounting for 52.2 percent of the city's total foreign trade.

During the same period, private enterprises saw 5.08 billion yuan in imports and exports, growing by 6.8 percent. Foreign-invested enterprises saw their imports and exports surge to 1.59 billion yuan, a remarkable increase of 103.6 percent.

General trade maintained steady growth, while processing trade grew rapidly, with a total import and export value of 1.03 billion yuan, an increase of 67.4 percent.

Baotou's main trading partners are Mongolia, Australia, Russia, and South Korea, with import and export growth rates of 13.2 percent, 34.4 percent, 434.5 percent, and 2 percent, respectively.

Additionally, the value of the city’s trade with Belt and Road Initiative countries reached 8.67 billion yuan, growing by 13.7 percent, while trade with Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) member countries was valued at 5.39 billion yuan, increasing by 12.4 percent.

Exports were primarily composed of steel and electromechanical products, with the latter showing robust growth. Imports mainly consisted of coal, iron ore, and its concentrates.