SHANGHAI, July 25 -- China's financial hub Shanghai saw its foreign trade hit a record high of 2.1 trillion yuan (about 294.44 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of 2024, Shanghai Customs said Thursday.

During the period, Shanghai's exports rose 1.8 percent year on year to 857.49 billion yuan, while imports decreased 0.2 percent to 1.24 trillion yuan.

In the first half, Shanghai's exports of mechanical and electrical products increased 0.8 percent year on year to 591.25 billion yuan, accounting for 69 percent of the city's total export value. Its exports of ships jumped by 92.3 percent year on year to 31.89 billion yuan.

In the same period, Shanghai's trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) totaled 277.35 billion yuan, up 4.8 percent year on year. Its trade with BRICS countries increased by 11.2 percent year on year to 200.32 billion yuan.