Zhoushan in East China's Zhejiang province achieved outstanding results in its foreign trade in the first two months of the year, local media reported.

The city hit 15.38 billion yuan ($2.29 billion) in total imports and exports during the period, up 14.5 percent year on year, 14.8 percent higher than the average provincial level and ahead of other cities in Zhejiang for growth.

Specifically, it recorded 6.1 billion yuan in exports, up 22 percent from a year earlier, 24.7 percent higher than the average provincial level and ranking first in the province. Its imports saw a year-on-year increase of 10 percent, at 9.3 billion yuan, with its growth being 2.4 percent higher than the average provincial level. 

The China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) played a major part in boosting the growth, with its imports taking up half of the city's total in the first two months.

Oil tanks cluster in the port area of Aoshan Island of Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province. It is currently the nation's largest oil reserve and throughput base. [Photo/IC] 

Oil trade has been booming in the zone thanks to a series of favorable policies launched by the local government since the establishment of Zhejiang FTZ. Its oil exports maintained stable growth during the first two months.

The exports of the city's traditional ship building industry also kept sound growth, partly attributable to the efforts of the city's commerce bureau this year in facilitating the contact between local ship building companies and port authorities to boost their exports.

Jiang Hai Zhi Da 1, built by the Zhoushan-based Zhejiang Zengzhou Ship Building Co, departs from the city's Shulanghu transfer terminal on April 5, 2018, carrying 20,000 metric tons of iron ore, and heads for the Ma'anshan Port in Anhui province. She is the nation's first 20,000-ton sea-river intermodal cargo ship. [Photo/IC]