Jinan saw the emergence of 5,080 new foreign trade enterprises in the first 11 months of 2024, bringing the total to a record 25,708, according to statistics from Jinan Customs.

Jinan's foreign trade was valued at 207.56 billion yuan ($29.06 billion), a 5.7 percent year-on-year increase, with exports growing by 12.2 percent to 140.53 billion yuan.

Key drivers include an improved business environment and enhanced logistics. Customs streamlined processes with online platforms, enabling efficient registration and cancellation of business qualifications.

Investments in high-tech industries rose by 8.5 percent year-on-year, bolstering innovative exports such as mechanical and high-tech products, which grew by 19.5 percent and 38.5 percent year-on-year, respectively.

The city is also expanding its international logistics network to enhance opening-up. The China-Europe freight service in Jinan, for example, has connected 48 cities in 23 countries. In the first 11 months of 2024, 953 China-Europe freight trains operated in the city.

The air network as also further strengthened in 2024 with the launch and resumption of passenger routes to Phuket, Phnom Penh, and Busan, along with a cargo route to Doha.