A view of aviation maintenance. [Photo/Xiamen Taikoo Aircraft Engineering]
The European Union (EU) is presently Xiamen's largest export market and second-largest trading partner.
According to Xiamen Customs, the total import and export volume between Xiamen and the EU reached 116.55 billion yuan ($16.3 billion) in the first 11 months, a 19.3 percent increase and a record high for this period.
Imports amounted to 28.5 billion yuan, a significant growth of 45.7 percent, while exports amounted to 88.05 billion yuan, a growth of 12.6 percent.
In the first 11 months of the year, Xiamen imported aircraft worth 4.17 billion yuan from the EU, and this helped drive the 21.3 percent increase in Xiamen's imports from the EU. Imports of aircraft components amounted to 970 million yuan, rising 57.7 percent.
At Xiamen Taikoo Aircraft Engineering, the bonded warehouse spanning over 3,000 square meters has been filled with imported aircraft materials required for maintenance. The majority of these materials are from EU countries.
From January to November, Xiamen Customs supervised 407 inbound and outbound maintenance flights, a 10.05 percent year-on-year increase.
The cumulative value of inbound and outbound bonded aviation maintenance outside the supervised area reached 154.8 billion yuan, a 5.69-fold increase compared to the previous year. This value is the highest in China and accounts for over half of the national volume.