BRICS economies are becoming an increasingly important part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s international trade network, with Shenzhen seeing steady trade growth with many BRICS members and Hong Kong strengthening economic links with the United Arab Emirates and India in particular.

According to Shenzhen Customs, Shenzhen’s imports and exports with other BRICS members reached 246.89 billion yuan ($34.6 billion) in the first eight months of this year, up 11.5 percent year-on-year.

During the period, Shenzhen’s exports to BRICS members totaled 207.77 billion yuan, increasing 7.5 percent year-on-year, while imports reached 39.12 billion yuan, up 38.9 percent.

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As infrastructure development accelerates and urbanization deepens across the BRICS countries, there has been a noticeable increase in Shenzhen’s exports of smart cleaning products and high-end LED display products. Agricultural products, including meat and fresh produce, have become important categories among the city’s imports.

Shenzhen-based Rock Times Technology, which produces smart cleaning products, has expanded into the Brazilian market. The company said demand for intelligent cleaning products has increased among Brazilian consumers, with products featuring technologies such as LiDAR navigation — an active remote sensing technology — and artificial intelligence-powered route planning entering the market.

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Absen, a leading supplier of high-end LED display products which is also based in Shenzhen, reported that its exports to South Africa increased by nearly 10 percent in the first eight months of the year, with its products being applied in areas including commercial advertising, sports events and transportation facilities.

In terms of imports, Shenzhen Agricultural Products Group’s international logistics arm reported that it had imported more than 70,000 metric tons of Brazilian meat this year.

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Shenzhen Customs has launched a green channel for the clearance of fresh agricultural products from BRICS countries, along with a series of measures to streamline customs clearance, helping compliant imported goods enter the domestic market more quickly.

Hong Kong has also recorded stronger trade links with BRICS economies this year. According to Hong Kong’s Census and Statistics Department, the city’s exports to the United Arab Emirates increased 53.8 percent year-on-year in the first half of the year, while imports from India rose 104.6 percent during the same period.

Hong Kong’s overall merchandise exports and imports also increased by 39.1 percent and 40.6 percent respectively in the first half of the year.

Contact the writer at bingcun@chinadailyhk.com

Yao Xi contributed to the story.