Rudong Customs officers visit a local company. [Photo/WeChat account: rudongfb]

According to Rudong Customs, the county's total foreign trade value reached 10.99 billion yuan ($1.51 billion) in January and February, marking a 12.7 percent year-on-year increase and ranking second in Nantong. Imports totaled 7.66 billion yuan, up 13.9 percent—the highest in the city—while exports rose 10 percent to 3.33 billion yuan.

The number of foreign trade enterprises in Rudong grew by 7.69 percent year-on-year. Foreign-invested enterprises accounted for 2.47 billion yuan in trade, a 14.8 percent increase, representing 22.5 percent of the total trade value. Meanwhile, private enterprises recorded 2.41 billion yuan in trade, up 3 percent compared to the previous year.

Trade with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative totaled 7.28 billion yuan, accounting for 66.21 percent of Rudong's foreign trade. Trade with ASEAN reached 761 million yuan, up 13.5 percent, while trade with the EU climbed 4.2 percent to 785 million yuan.

Textiles and high-tech products saw strong growth. Textile trade rose 8.3 percent to 1.1 billion yuan, while high-tech product trade jumped 16.4 percent to 692 million yuan. Additionally, imports of liquefied natural gas reached 6.03 billion yuan, a 15.8 percent increase.