In 2017, the volume of iron ore imports which arrived at the port of Hekou in China's Yunnan Province reached a record level of 3,467,400 metric tons, worth a total of RMB 1.188 billion ($188 million), increasing by 2.72 times and 3.34 times respectively on year-on-year basis, as announced by the customs authorities in Kunming, capital city of Yunnan Province. Iron ore has become a leading commodity for the growth of import trade at Hekou port.