Nantong Customs officers inspect the cargo at a local port. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province recorded a foreign trade growth of 14.4 percent in the first four months of this year, as reported by Nantong Customs.

This growth rate exceeds both the provincial and national averages, outpacing them by 8.7 percentage points and 12 percentage points, respectively.

From January to April, Nantong achieved a total import and export value of 130.57 billion yuan ($18.09 billion), accounting for 7.1 percent of the province's total foreign trade.

The city's exports amounted to 86.42 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.5 percent, while its imports amounted to 44.15 billion yuan, up 4.1 percent from the previous year.

This growth momentum was evident in April's monthly data. Nantong's total import and export value for that month reached 36.04 billion yuan, hitting a historical high for the same period, with a year-on-year increase of 15.3 percent, marking the 10th consecutive month of growth.

The significant effects of diversifying international market layouts are apparent, with Nantong's imports and exports to ASEAN, the EU, and the Middle East markets increasing by 62.1 percent, 30 percent, and 31.9 percent, respectively.

Industry insiders analyze that despite fluctuations in the international market, based on sufficient orders in hand and the vigorous development of new business formats, Nantong's foreign trade is expected to maintain double-digit growth throughout the year.