China's Hebei sees foreign trade up 34.3% in Jan-Feb

In the first two months of this year, North China's Hebei province achieved a total import and export value of 74.85 billion yuan ($11.43 billion), a year-on-year increase of 34.3 percent. The province’s growth rate was 2.1 percentage points higher than that of the country, according to Shijiazhuang Customs.

The province's exports in the two months totaled 41.34 billion yuan, up 52.3 percent year-on-year, while imports increased by 17.1 percent to 33.51 billion yuan.

During the same period, Hebei reported an increase of 30.1 percent, 85.8 percent, 26 percent, 48.7 percent and 43.7 percent, respectively, in trade with Australia, the United States, the European Union, Russia and South Korea.

Meanwhile, the province's trade with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative reported a growth of 30.4 percent to 22.15 billion yuan.

The import and export value of registered enterprises in Caofeidian Comprehensive Bonded Zone surged 934.1 percent to 4.1 billion yuan, and that of Langfang Comprehensive Bonded Zone hit 93.4 million yuan, an increase of 1,153.8 percent.

Exports of mechanical and electrical products, labor-intensive products, steel products, high-tech products, agricultural products and medical materials have increased.

Imports of iron ore increased in volume and prices, while imports of soybeans and crude oil decreased.