According to the statistics of Beijing Customs District P. R. China, the foreign trade volume of Beijing (including central and state units in Beijing) totaled RMB 2.32 trillion in 2020, with imports and exports worth up to RMB 1.86 trillion and RMB 465.49 billion respectively. Although Beijing’s foreign trade volume dropped in 2020 compared with the last year, it rebounded and steadily increased in the second half and registered significant growth over the first half of 2020.

Affected by COVID-19, Beijing’s foreign trade volume dropped significantly in the first half of 2020. As domestically the epidemic was brought under control and enterprises resumed work and production in an orderly manner, Beijing saw a return to stability in foreign trade. In the second half of 2020, the volume of imports and exports of Beijing reached RMB 1.19 trillion, an increase of 5.7% over the first half. Specifically, the figure of the third quarter was RMB 604.2 billion, up by 19.5% over the second quarter, and that of the fourth quarter dropped slightly but still remained at a high level. It was noteworthy that Beijing’s foreign trade volume exceeded RMB 200 billion in both November and December, up by 8.8% and 2.1% month-on-month respectively.

A breakdown by goods category shows that Beijing maintained growth in the import of automobiles, iron ore and concentrates, pharmaceutical raw materials and drugs. In 2020, Beijing imported automobiles worth RMB 185.94 billion, which rose by 8% and accounted for 10% of Beijing’s total imports in 2020. Automobile import was particularly strong at the end of 2020, with the import volume exceeding RMB 20 billion in both November and December. In addition, in 2020 Beijing imported iron ore and concentrates worth RMB 122.48 billion, up by 11%; it imported pharmaceutical raw materials and drugs worth RMB 70.03 billion, up by 12%.

Regarding export, significant growth was seen in the categories of mobile phones and medical supplies. In 2020, Beijing exported mobile phones worth RMB 65.58 billion, which increased by 50% and accounted for 14.1% of Beijing’s total exports in 2020. During the same period, the export volume of medical supplies grew significantly and that of textiles and clothing (mainly medical masks and protective clothing) reached RMB 35.21 billion, up by 202.7%; export of medical instruments and devices reached RMB 11.34 billion, up by 138.5%; and export of pharmaceutical raw materials and drugs reached RMB 6.77 billion, up by 64.3%.