Refined oil products are a major reason for Zhoushan's outstanding performance in exports. [Photo/WeChat account: china-zjftz]

The imports and exports of Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, jumped 36.1 percent year-on-year in the first five months of the year to 94.55 billion yuan ($14.59 billion), statistics from Zhoushan Customs showed.

The city's exports surged 42.6 percent year-on-year to 33.45 billion yuan, while its imports increased 32.7 percent year-on-year to 61.1 percent, accounting for 3 percent and 13.9 percent of the province's totals respectively.

Zhoushan's trade with emerging markets was a highlight during this period.

Its trades with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Saudi Arabia, Latin America, and the United Arab Emirates were valued at 19.32 billion yuan, 13.83 billion yuan, 13.26 billion yuan, and 7.34 billion yuan respectively with year-on-year increases of 110 percent, 15.6 percent, 49.5 percent, and 130 percent.

Zhoushan's trade with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative totaled 52.26 billion yuan in the Jan-May period, a year-on-year increase of 55 percent and accounting for 55.3 percent of the city's total trade value.

Foreign trade by private companies in the city amounted to 60.82 billion yuan, a 58.7 percent year-on-year increase and a major force driving Zhoushan's foreign trade.

Refined oil products were the major reason for Zhoushan's outstanding performance in exports. In the first five months of the year, Zhoushan exported 6.87 million metric tons of refined oil product worth 20.82 billion yuan, both increasing 140 percent and 94.6 percent year-on-year.