Jiangsu Sees 13 Percent Rise In Half-Year Foreign Trade

NANJING, August 1 (Xinhua) -- East China's Jiangsu Province has reported a 12.7 percent year-on-year rise in foreign trade, to 13. 39 billion US dollars-worth during the first half of this year.

The total includes 7.73 billion US dollars-worth of exports and 5.66 billion US dollars-worth of imports.

Exports from local state-run enterprises reached 3.16 billion US dollars-worth during the half-year period, a 4.5 percent rise on a yearly basis, with the volume accounted for by overseas- funded enterprises growing by 20 percent to 4.2 billion US dollars- worth, and the volume accounted for by private businesses rocketing by 580 percent to 3.38 million US dollars-worth.

Exports to Asia have resumed their former level, reaching 3.88 billion US dollars-worth during the six-month period, a rise of 14. 4 percent on a yearly basis, with exports to North America climbing 26 percent, and to Australia, 37.6 percent.

The province has further optimized its export mix, exporting 2. 19 billion US dollars-worth of machinery, and of electrical, audio and visual goods during the first half of the year, a 24 percent rise on a yearly basis.