The city registered 204.18 billion USD in exports last year, a year-on-year increase of 26 percent, becoming the first Chinese city to achieve annual exports of more than 200 billion USD, according to Shenzhen Customs.
It was the 18th year Shenzhen had maintained the lead in exports.
The city recorded 346.75 billion USD in imports and exports last year, maintaining an average annual growth rate of 13.7 percent since 2005.
Exports of high-tech products jumped by almost 28 percent to 108.73 billion USD last year, accounting for 53.3 percent of the total exports.
More than 180 of the Fortune 500 enterprises have investments in Shenzhen, establishing key sections of their industrial chains or research and development centers in the city, according to customs figures.
However, exports of labor-intensive products declined last year, which was attributed to an accelerating trend for labor-intensive industries to move out of the city because of increasing labor costs, customs said.
Hong Kong, Europe and the United States took the lion's share of exports from Shenzhen last year. Exports worth 84.45 billion USD went to Hong Kong last year, a year-on-year increase of almost 38 percent.
Emerging markets in ASEAN countries, Latin America and Africa imported more from Shenzhen last year.
Shenzhen maintained a strong demand for imports of key electronic components such as integrated circuits and LCD panels with the electronic industry forming a large proportion in the city's foreign trade.
Private enterprises contributed 92.43 billion USD to the city's total imports and exports last year, up more than 60 percent over 2008, the year before the global financial crisis hit.
The city government has encouraged private firms to extend their industrial chains to enhance crisis resistance capabilities.
(By Li Hao)
