China's Hunan sees foreign trade up 25.2 pct in H1

Aerial photo taken on Jan. 6, 2022 shows an outbound freight train heading for Laos from Huaihua City, central China's Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

CHANGSHA, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Central China's Hunan Province recorded robust foreign trade growth in the first half of 2022, said local customs.

The province's total import and export value hit 325.5 billion yuan (about 48.2 billion U.S. dollars) from January to June, up 25.2 percent year on year.

Exports rose 37 percent to 238.6 billion yuan, while imports increased 1.3 percent to about 87 billion yuan.

The export of steel, textiles, clothing and shoes registered a significant increase, and the imports of integrated circuits rapidly grew in the January-June period.

During this period, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), member states of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and countries and regions along the Belt and Road registered the fastest growth among Hunan's trading partners.

Hunan's trade with ASEAN reached 69.3 billion yuan, an increase of 70.7 percent year on year, and accounted for 21.3 percent of the province's total import and export value in the first half of year.

Meanwhile, imports and exports between Hunan and countries and regions along the Belt and Road soared to 115.5 billion yuan, up 55.2 percent year on year, and the province's trade with the other 14 RCEP member countries registered a 36.2-percent growth.