Container ships dock at Nantong Port. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, recorded a foreign trade volume of 147.26 billion yuan ($21.7 billion) in the first four months of this year, ranking fourth in the province and marking a year-on-year increase of 12.9 percent, according to Nantong Customs.

During this period, the city's exports reached 99.11 billion yuan, up 14.7 percent, while imports totaled 48.15 billion yuan, up 9.2 percent.

In April alone, Nantong's total import and export volume reached 40.84 billion yuan, up 13.5 percent from the same month last year. Its exports reached 27.82 billion yuan, marking the highest level since October of last year, with a growth of 10.3 percent; imports amounted to 13.02 billion yuan, the highest since October 2022, with a growth of 20.9 percent.

Nantong saw significant growth in trade with major partners. In April, the city's trade with ASEAN, the EU, and Russia amounted to 8.63 billion yuan, 7.35 billion yuan, and 3.81 billion yuan, respectively, up 23.4 percent, 33 percent, and 179.7 percent, respectively. Its trade with the United States reached 2.75 billion yuan, the highest in seven months, up 7.6 percent, with exports to the US rising 26.3 percent.

The latest trade sentiment survey from Nantong Customs shows that 36.1 percent of enterprises in Nantong reported an increase in new export orders from the previous month, maintaining a robust level. Overall, sentiment in key industries remains positive, with favorable factors continuing to support the growth of foreign trade.