GUANGZHOU, July 23 (Xinhua) -- China's economic powerhouse Guangdong Province exported goods worth 1.98 trillion yuan (287.7 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of this year, up 3.9 percent year on year, according to local customs Tuesday.
Guangdong's foreign trade volume reached 3.28 trillion yuan during the same period. Its imports, however, dropped by 2.5 percent to 1.3 trillion yuan in H1, with trade surplus widening 18.9 percent year on year.
The exports of mechanical and electrical products in the southern province reached 1.37 trillion yuan in H1, up 2.8 percent year on year, accounting for more than 69 percent of Guangdong's total exports.
The province saw trade with the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) rise 13.3 percent year on year to 410.67 billion yuan in H1.
Meanwhile, trade volume with countries along the Belt and Road reached 765.88 billion yuan in H1, up 5.1 percent year on year.
Private enterprises were the biggest driver. In the first half of this year, the foreign trade volume of private companies in Guangdong reached 1.66 trillion yuan, up 5.9 percent year on year, contributing over 229 percent to the growth of Guangdong's foreign trade.
Local customs predicts that despite challenges, Guangdong's sound economic fundamentals will remain unchanged in the second half of this year.
