Wendy Zhang/ Shanghai Daily news

Shanghai Port reported import and export volumes of US$282.6 billion last year, an increase of 40 percent from the previous year, according to the customs officials.
Among foreign trade volumes, export volumes reached US$161.3 billion and import volumes amounted to US$121.3 billion, up 44 percent and 37 percent from a year earlier.
Foreign-invested companies registered import and export volumes of US$176.6 billion last year, an increase of 50 percent from a year earlier and accounting for 62.5 percent of the total trade volume of the Shanghai Port.
Private companies registered foreign trade volumes which doubled to US$23.7 billion last year, accounting for 8.39 percent of the port's total volumes.
China's macro-adjustment policy has slowed the import of raw materials such as steel since the second quarter of last year. Shanghai Port reported steel imports of 4.1 million tons and soybeans of 460,000 tons last year both down from the previous year.
Growing demands, regional government turbulence and frequent bad weather drove up the import and export commodity prices last year, with the average import prices for oil products, steel, copper and iron ore, cotton wool and soybean up 27 percent, 35 percent, 54 percent, 61 percent, 25 percent and 31 percent respectively. Export prices of coke nearly doubled; steel increased by 42 percent; integrate circuit, motorcycle and color TV's increased 19 percent, 26 percent and 32 percent respectively.
The export qualities improved last year.
Last year, Shanghai Port reported exports of US$8.74 billion in mechanical and electronic products and US$4.54 billion in  high-tech products, up 58 percent and 72 percent from the year before.
Shanghai port experienced more than a 28 percent growth in foreign trade with the European Union, Japan and the Untied States, with this trade covering more than 55 percent of the total volumes of the port.
The port registered US$57.1 billion in trade with the expanded EU, up 36 percent from a year earlier; US$50.8 billion with Japan, up 33 percent and nearly US$49 billion with the US, up 42 percent.
Japan has become Shanghai's largest exporter(US$25.5 billion) last year and the US has become the city's biggest importer(US$36.2 billion).