Containers are seen at the Yangshan Deep-Water Port in Shanghai, October 19, 2020. [Photo/Agencies]

An index system that evaluates the consumption of import goods in the Yangtze River Delta was developed by experts recently.

The system comprises six indexes for trade scale, structure, procurement, price, sales and accessibility, reflecting the overall status of the trade in the region and providing a reference for the improvement of the quality of trade and consumption.

The Yangtze River Delta is an important hub for China's foreign trade that serves as a distribution center for goods to other places across the country.

The project was initiated by the comprehensive trade service company alliance of the Shanghai trade mission to the China International Import Expo, the China Internet Information Center, Orient International Group, and the Shanghai branch of the Export–Import Bank of China.

Experts involved in the project come from the Development Research Center of the State Council, the Ministry of Commerce, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the Central University of Finance and Economics.