Among the vast array of imported consumer goods, Chinese people seek out cosmetics, aquatic products and jewelry the most, as the latest customs statistics show.

A Chinese girl makes herself up. [File Photo: VCG]

The import value of the three categories in 2018 respectively increased by more than half year-on-year, according to a statistics report by Shanghai Customs.

Shanghai is a major destination and distribution hub for imported goods in China.

The value of cosmetics imported via Shanghai Customs reached 27.95 billion yuan (about 4.15 billion U.S. dollars), an increase of 55.85 percent over the previous year. Among them, imports from Japan reached 6.29 billion yuan, an increase of 98.4 percent; imports from the United States 2.13 billion yuan, up 79.2 percent; imports from the European Union 10.84 billion yuan, an increase of 37.9 percent.

In 2018, Shanghai Customs imported aquatic products worth 13.65 billion yuan, an increase of 52.7 percent year-on-year. It also imported jewelry worth 7.8 billion yuan, up 52.3 percent.

The growth of import that surpassed from nearly 16.5 to 35 percent included watches, footwear and headgear, garments, fresh and dried fruits, as well as meat.