Hubei's imports and exports stood at 262.5 billion yuan in the first five months of 2024, up 7.6 percent year on year, local customs said on June 13.

Of the total, exports posted 179.46 billion yuan, surging by 6.1 percent from the same period last year, while imports gained 10.8 percent to 83.04 billion yuan.

From January to May, Hubei’s imports and exports of general trade amounted to 197.76 billion yuan, accounting for more than 70 percent of the province's total foreign trade volume.

During the period, Hubei's imports and exports with its top three trading partners - ASEAN, the European Union and the United States - stood at 49.01 billion yuan, 29.44 billion yuan and 23.54 billion yuan, respectively.

Meanwhile, the province’s trade with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative totaled 128.03 billion yuan.

Private enterprises witnessed strong performance with the import and export volume hitting 181.45 billion yuan over the period, while the imports and exports of foreign-invested enterprises and state-owned enterprises reached 41.09 billion yuan and 39.87 billion yuan, respectively.

Wuhan, capital city of Hubei Province, posted 140.94 billion yuan in foreign trade, contributing more than 50 percent to the province's total during the same period.

Exports of mechanical and electrical products represented a year-on-year growth of 8.3 percent to 100.14 billion yuan, while exports of labor-intensive products reached 32.93 billion yuan.

Imports of metallic mineral ore registered 22.65 billion yuan, while imports of agricultural products hit 6.79 billion yuan. (en.hubei.gov.cn by Zhang Yawei）