Foreign trade in Tianjin, the largest port city in north China, soared 47.2 percent year-on-year in the first 11 months of 2004, amounting to 60.74 billion US dollars, local customs statistics show.

The city maintained a robust 45.5 percent growth rate in imports, which added up to 26.34 billion dollars. In the same period, Tianjin's exports climbed by 48.6 percent to 34.4 billion dollars.

Imports and exports conducted through general trade reached 35.7 billion dollars during the 11-month period, up 50 percent year-on-year, about 58.8 percent of the city's total foreign trade, according to local customs.

The trade volume handled by local foreign-funded businesses rose 42 percent year-on-year to 28.44 billion dollars, accounting for 46.8 percent of the total foreign trade, followed by that conducted by state-owned businesses at 24 billion dollars and collectively owned, private and other businesses at 8.28 billion dollars.

Mechanical and electronic products continued to dominate the foreign trade market of Tianjin, with a year-on-year growth of 52.1 percent in exports during the first 11 months this year, amounting to 13.17 billion dollars. Imports of resources surged greatly during the same period.

Japan, the European Union, the United States and the Republic of Korea are among the major trade partners of Tianjin. Trade with the four partners totaled 39.11 billion dollars in the 11-month period, or 65 percent of its total foreign trade.

Sources from the General Administration of Customs said that China's total foreign trade volume in the first 11 months of this year passed one trillion dollars, which is a "milestone" in China's foreign trade.

The deal to put China's foreign trade turnover over one trillion dollars was an 890,000-dollar coal shipment exported to the Republic of Korea, handled at Tianjin port on November 19, said the General Administration of Customs.