Nanning Customs and the Department of Commerce of Guangxi jointly hold a news conference on Jan 20 to discuss Guangxi's export and import trade in 2019. [Photo by Xian Yanxing/gxnews.com.cn]

Nanning Customs and the Department of Commerce of Guangxi jointly held a news conference on Jan 20 to discuss Guangxi's export and import trade in 2019.

Statistics show that Guangxi's total import and export value amounted to 467.47 billion yuan ($68.36 billion) in 2019, with a year-on-year growth of 14.4 percent, which was 11 percentage points higher than the national growth.

The export volume of Guangxi in 2019 reached 259.71 billion yuan, up 19.4 percent year-on-year, while the import volume was 209.76 billion yuan, up 8.7 percent. The trade surplus also grew to 49.95 billion yuan.

The trade structure in Guangxi has continued to improve, as its general trade import and export volume climbed by 20.2 percent to 165.66 billion yuan, accounting for 35.3 percent of Guangxi's total foreign trade volume. Its border trade import and export volume was 148.61 billion, accounting for 31.7 percent of the total volume.

The foreign trade volume with major markets like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Hong Kong, and Europe went through rapid growth. The import and export volume to ASEAN countries amounted to 233.47 billion yuan, up 13.3 percent year-on-year, making ASEAN Guangxi's biggest trade partner for the 20th consecutive years.

Deng Wenguang, vice director of Nanning Customs, said that the customs has made great efforts in improving the business environment at the port and simplifying clearance processes. 

The overall clearance time at Nanning Customs has been shortened by 41.37 percent to 13.08 hours in 2019, which was better than the national average time of 41.4 hours.

Nanning Customs will keep deepening its reform in improving the local business environment, promoting the opening-up of Guangxi Port.