Central China's Hunan Province saw its foreign trade rise 13.4 percent year on year to over 208 billion yuan (about 29.7 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of this year, local customs said Friday.

According to the customs of Changsha, the provincial capital, exports rose 5.9 percent year on year to 136.13 billion yuan while imports surged 30.9 percent to 71.94 billion yuan in the period.

The ASEAN became Hunan's largest trade partner during the period, with imports and exports totaling 34.75 billion yuan, up 39.6 percent year on year.

Hunan saw its private enterprises play a more prominent role in stabilizing its foreign trade growth from January to June.

Among the exports, Hunan reported remarkable growth in mechanical and electrical products as well as labor-intensive goods during this period.

Meanwhile, the province reported an increase in the imports of mechanical and electrical products, iron ore and grain.