China's Hebei sees foreign trade up 17 pct in Q1

SHIJIAZHUANG, May 2 (Xinhua) -- North China's Hebei Province saw its foreign trade at 143.08 billion yuan (about 20.7 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2023, up 17 percent year on year, according to the customs authority in Shijiazhuang, the province's capital.

Over the period, Hebei's exports rose 22.3 percent year on year to 87.91 billion yuan, while its imports grew 9.5 percent to 55.17 billion yuan, data from Shijiazhuang customs showed.

The province's trade with its major trading partners, the United States, ASEAN, the European Union and the Republic of Korea, stood at 19.11 billion yuan, 18.54 billion yuan, 14.72 billion yuan and 6.09 billion yuan, respectively.

Hebei's trade with countries along the Belt and Road increased by 25.3 percent year on year to 52.44 billion yuan, accounting for 36.7 percent of the province's total foreign trade volume.

Its exports of mechanical and electrical products and labor-intensive products maintained strong growth momentum in the first quarter.