Rizhao, a key coastal port city in East China's Shandong province, is leveraging its strategic location to foster a more open economy and drive steady growth in foreign trade.

A pivotal port for the Belt and Road Initiative, Rizhao Port is expanding its global reach through process innovation, technological empowerment and operational model upgrading.

This year, Rizhao has seen a significant surge in exports of bulk commodities and specialty industrial products, facilitated by innovative regulatory measures such as "direct loading," "advance declaration" and "release prior to inspection."

These measures helped Lanbei Port Area of Rizhao Port achieve a 38.54 percent year-on-year increase in export volume from January to July. Exports of Water slag and slag powder rose by 61.9 percent and 41.19 percent, respectively.

The city has also made significant progress in exporting steel and other specialized products. In August, Rizhao Steel Holding Group shipped over 5,100 metric tons of high-end steel products to Europe. This marked the city's first efficient delivery of such products to the European market.

To further strengthen its international logistics network, Rizhao Port launched a new route from Lanshan to Abu Dhabi in August. This addition has optimized the port's global network and boosted transport capacity on routes serving Southeast Asia, Europe and Africa.

While boosting exports, Rizhao is also enhancing its import capabilities. The introduction of the "Jianmu" intelligent recognition system for timber imports, for example, has reduced waiting time and storage costs for imported logs.

In the first seven months of this year, Rizhao imported over 6 million cubic meters of logs, accounting for one-third of the national total, while its iron ore imports reached 74.77 million tons, ranking first in the country.

The city's comprehensive bonded zone recorded a 120 percent year-on-year increase in the value of bonded imports and exports.

Rizhao's foreign trade network now spans 189 countries and regions. Bolstered by its port foundation and driven by the wings of openness, the city is accelerating its high-quality development.