Local customs sources also said that in the first six months ofthe year, the city scored a growth of 21.5 percent in its total foreign trade volume which stood at 35.8 billion US dollars.

Exports of machinery and electronics products made up 13.19 billion US dollars, accounting for 64.36 percent of the total exported commodities, up 20 percent. Overseas-financed businesses continued to lead Shenzhen's exports, exporting 11.98 billion US dollars in the first half of the year, up 19.24 percent, said the customs sources.

Shenzhen, of south China's Guangdong Province, is a boomtown facing Hong Kong across a river. It is also one of the country's five special economic zones to pilot the country's reform and open-up drive.

(Xinhua News Agency July 16, 2002)