A wharf in Zhangjiagang, Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: zhangjiagangfabu365]

The foreign trade volume in Zhangjiagang, a county-level city in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, reached $10.97 billion in the first quarter of 2022, up 23 percent year-on-year, according to the city's customs authority.

Its imports and exports were $6.02 billion and $4.95 billion, up 25.1 percent and 24.7 percent respectively over the last year.

Zhangjiagang Customs has implemented a series of measures to bolster the city's foreign trade growth. For example, it has introduced a new practice to streamline the clearance process, said Zhang Qiang, an official at the customs department.

The new practice can reduce the number of times goods are loaded and unloaded at the wharfs, thus improving efficiency and reducing transportation costs. It now takes five to eight less days on average for companies to export goods, said Zhang.

Due to the favorable measures, COFCO Donghai Grain and Oil Industry (Zhangjiagang) Co imported and exported 825,000 metric tons of commodities worth $537 million in the first quarter.