Xiamen in East China's Fujian province reported a year-on-year increase of 28.8 percent in foreign trade during the January-October period of this year with a value of 732.34 billion yuan ($114.37 billion).

According to the city's customs department, Xiamen's imports and exports rose 38.1 percent and 20.1 percent year-on-year to 381.34 billion yuan and 351 billion yuan, respectively, during this period.

The value in October alone stood at 75.05 billion yuan, up 23.2 percent year-on-year. Of that, the city's imports were valued at 40.04 billion yuan, up 44.9 percent year-on-year, while exports were valued at 35.01 billion yuan, up 5.2 percent.

Statistics showed that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the United States, and the European Union were Xiamen's top three trade partners during the first 10 months of the year. Their trade volumes with Xiamen grew 24.3 percent, 29.6 percent, and 26.5 percent to 131.5 billion yuan, 94.4 billion yuan and 78.99 billion yuan, respectively.

In addition, Xiamen's trade with RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) members, countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiatives, as well as BRICS countries, increased by 22.3 percent, 27.3 percent, and 18.7 percent, respectively.

Behind the growth is the city's vital private sector. From January to October, the sector's foreign trade reached 264.26 billion yuan, up 40.3 percent year-on-year. 　

Mechanical and electrical products, as well as labor-intensive products such as textiles and garments, were the major exports, growing 15.4 percent and 4.1 percent to 156.42 billion yuan and 102.02 billion yuan, respectively.

Major imports included mechanical and electrical products, agricultural produce, and iron ore.