Tibet sees strong foreign trade growth

LHASA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The foreign trade of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region surged 94.3 percent year on year in the first 11 months of 2021, according to data from local customs.

Tibet's imports and exports totaled 3.65 billion yuan (about 573 million U.S. dollars) in the period, the customs in Lhasa, the regional capital, said in a statement.

The growth slowed from a rate of 130 percent for the first 10 months, but remained the fastest among all provincial-level regions in China, the statement said.

Combined exports rose 76.3 percent to about 1.94 billion yuan from a year earlier, while imports rose 120 percent to 1.71 billion yuan, with a trade surplus of 233 million yuan.

In the first 11 months, private enterprises were the major engines behind the robust trade growth, with a trade value of over 2.2 billion yuan, while state-owned companies saw imports and exports totaling 1.4 billion yuan.

The region conducted trade with 64 countries and regions worldwide in the period, with Nepal being its largest trading partner, the customs said.