China's Anhui posts foreign trade growth in Q1

This aerial photo taken on July 4, 2022 shows the Volkswagen Anhui MEB (Modular Electric Drive Matrix) plant under construction in the Hefei area of the pilot free trade zone (FTZ) in east China's Anhui Province. (Xinhua)

HEFEI, April 20 (Xinhua) -- East China's Anhui Province saw its foreign trade reach 177.26 billion yuan (about 25.7 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2023, up 1.9 percent year on year, according to a press briefing held on Thursday.

During the period, the province's exports climbed 15.5 percent year on year to 118.32 billion yuan. Its actual use of foreign investment increased 42.2 percent year on year to 610 million U.S. dollars, with the high-tech and manufacturing industries posting robust growth that was respectively 2.3 times and 1 time higher than the levels seen during the same period in 2022, said Fang Xu, director of the provincial commerce department.

Anhui's trade with countries along the Belt and Road grew 29.6 percent year on year to 57.85 billion yuan in the first quarter. The volume of trade between the province and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) hit 21.92 billion yuan, up 14.9 percent year on year.