Quzhou's foreign trade totaled 33.31 billion yuan ($4.81 billion) from January to July, up 28.4 percent from the same period last year and 8.9 percentage points higher than that of Zhejiang province, according to Quzhou Customs.

The city's exports were valued at 22.66 billion yuan, an increase of 38.9 percent, ranking first in the province in terms of growth rate, while imports were valued at 10.65 billion yuan, an uptick of 10.7 percent.

From January to July, the city's exports of pulp, paper and its products, and high-tech products grew rapidly, reaching 2 billion yuan and 1.6 billion yuan, soaring 66.7 percent and 74.3 percent, and accounting for 8.8 percent and 7 percent of the city's total export value, respectively.

During this period, the city's trade with the RCEP member countries and countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative reached 11.54 billion yuan and 10.08 billion yuan, respectively, up 38.3 percent and 69.9 percent, accounting for 34.6 percent and 30.3 percent of the city's total import and export value.

In addition, the city's imports and exports of processing trade totaled 3.02 billion yuan, a rise of 33.3 percent. Exports reached 2.47 billion yuan, a significant increase of 80.8 percent and accounting for 10.9 percent of the city's total.

Private enterprises in the city were the main force for the growth of imports and exports. From January to July, foreign trade of private enterprises amounted to 26.99 billion yuan, an increase of 25.6 percent and accounting for 81 percent of the city's total.