TIANJIN, Jan. 29 -- Foreign trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative via the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin rose 4 percent year on year in 2019, local customs authorities said Wednesday.

The trade volume with B&R countries reached 374.8 billion yuan (about 54 billion U.S. dollars) last year, accounting for 27.1 percent of the port city's total, according to the local customs.

The city's exports to B&R countries totaled 239.2 billion yuan, while the imports hit 135.6 billion yuan during the period.

ASEAN was the port city's biggest trade partner, while trade with India, the European Union and the United Arab Emirates registered fast growth during the same period.

The top three import commodities were crude oil, agricultural products and electrical and electronic products, while mechanical and electrical products topped the export products.

Private enterprises played a leading role in driving the port city's foreign trade growth with B&R countries. Imports from these countries by private enterprises via Tianjin went up 46.6 percent year on year to 45.3 billion yuan, while their exports grew by 4.1 percent to 140.7 billion yuan.