Customs statistics show that the imports and exports of comprehensive bonded zones in Shandong province reached 252.27 billion yuan ($39.13 billion), a year-on-year growth of 25.5 percent.

Ships prepare for their voyages in the foreign trade container terminal of Qingdao Port in Shandong province. [Photo by Yu Fangping/For China Daily]

Although they take up only 0.02 percent of Shandong's land area, local comprehensive bonded zones accounted for 11.5 percent of the province's total foreign trade and have become an important force in stabilizing foreign trade and ensuring the stability of industrial and supply chains.

There are 13 comprehensive bonded zones in Shandong province, ranking third in China. In recent years, Shandong customs authorities have been ramping up efforts to give full play to the functional advantages of the comprehensive bonded areas.