Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, reported a year-on-year rise in foreign trade of 1.9 percent for the first three quarters of this year, with its import and export volumes worth 18.29 billion yuan ($2.59 billion).

According to statistics released by the local customs department, the figure accounted for 9.8 percent of the total foreign trade of Nantong.

The value of general trade dropped 3.3 percent to 13.14 billion yuan, accounting for 71.9 percent of the city's total foreign trade. Processing trade increased 7.7 percent to 4.24 billion yuan.

Import and export trade with the European Union and Japan rose 23.2 percent and 14.5 percent, respectively, to 4.56 billion yuan and 2.18 billion yuan.

During the same period, trade with the United States and ASEAN members and countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative decreased 8.6 percent, 41.6 percent and 17.1 percent, respectively, to 3.34 billion yuan, 1.77 billion yuan and 3.98 billion yuan.

Exports of electromechanical, textile and petrochemical products increased 29.9 percent, 3.8 percent and 12.9 percent, respectively, while the value of imported electromechanical products rose 190 percent to 660 million yuan.