The eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province has seen robust trade with member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), according to statistics from Qingdao customs.

The China-SCO Demonstration Zone for Local Economic and Trade Cooperation is designed to serve the nation and Qingdao's strategies to expand opening-up and international cooperation. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In the first eight months of this year, the total trade volume between Qingdao and SCO countries rose by 19.6 percent year-on-year to 35.85 billion yuan ($5.11 billion), according to official data.

During this period, the city's exports with SCO states totaled 22.8 billion yuan, up 20.1 percent, and imports reached 13.05 billion yuan, an increase of 18.7 percent.

In August, Qingdao's imports and exports with SCO member countries reached 6.32 billion yuan, up 51.7 percent.

Russia and India were Qingdao's top two trade partners among the SCO member countries. From January to August, Qingdao's trade with Russia and India reached 20.09 billion yuan and 10.62 billion yuan, respectively, up 69 percent and down 16.2 percent.

According to Qingdao customs, waterway transport accounts for nearly 80 percent of Qingdao's trade with SCO member countries, and railway transport has increased significantly.

Qingdao customs has implemented rapid railway customs clearance and other modes in the Multimodal Transport Center of the China-SCO Demonstration Zone for Local Economic and Trade Cooperation in Qingdao, which has greatly improved the customs clearance facilitation of China-Europe freight trains and made the China-Europe freight trains an important logistics channel between Qingdao and SCO member countries.