China's Hunan sees foreign trade up 14.2 pct in January-May

CHANGSHA, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Central China's Hunan Province recorded robust foreign trade growth in the first five months of 2022, according to local customs.

The province's total import and export value hit 239.25 billion yuan (about 35.45 billion U.S. dollars) from January to May, up 14.2 percent year on year.

Exports rose 21.1 percent year on year to 169.86 billion yuan during the period, while imports increased 0.2 percent to 69.39 billion yuan.

The export of shoes and boots registered a significant increase, and the import of soybeans grew rapidly in the January-May period.

During this period, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, other member states of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and countries and regions along the Belt and Road were the major trading partners for Hunan.

Imports and exports between the province and countries and regions along the Belt and Road soared to 81.12 billion yuan, up 39.8 percent compared with the same period in 2021.