Briefly

Micro-lenders' loans reach $137 billion

Outstanding loans extended by 6,686 micro-lenders in China stood at 886.5 billion yuan ($136.9 billion) by the end of June, according to central bank data. Micro-lenders largely target small companies and low-income groups in need of capital. In recent years, China has tightened regulations for the sector to rein in financial risks.

Shanghai's foreign trade up 19% in H1

Shanghai's foreign trade grew 19 percent year-on-year to 1.88 trillion yuan ($290.1 billion) during the first half of this year, Customs authorities said. In the first half, exports rose by 9.6 percent to 703.78 billion yuan, while imports went up 25.4 percent to 1.18 trillion yuan. In June alone, foreign trade rose 19.3 percent to 340.27 billion yuan, with exports rising almost 11 percent and imports surging almost 25 percent. In the first half, foreign trade of private enterprises in Shanghai reached 508.31 billion yuan, up 35.5 percent year-on-year, accounting for 27 percent of the total trade value.

Xinhua - China Daily