Dalian, a port city in northeast's Liaoning Province, did US$12.01 billion worth of foreign trade in the first half of the year, a year-on-year rise of 32.1 percent.

Exports made up 6.39 billion US dollars, a rise of 41.5 percent, while imports totaled US$5.62 billion, up 22.8 percent, said sources from the Dalian customs house.

Imports and exports for processing trade remained active in the city, with the volume of business accounting for half of the city's total foreign trade. Exports by general trade picked up enormously, but imports lacked the strength to bounce.

Overseas-funded businesses, state-owned companies and private firms are the three leading players in the city's foreign trade. Overseas-funded businesses alone, for instance, exported US$4.43 billion worth of commodities from January to June, up 46 percent, and imported US$4.08 billion worth of commodities, up 33 percent.

Japan, the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) remain the top three trade partners of this northeast Chinese port city.

(Xinhua News Agency July 22, 2005)