TAIYUAN — North China's Shanxi province saw robust growth in foreign trade in the first quarter of 2021, data from Taiyuan Customs showed.

The total import and export value hit 49.02 billion yuan (about $7.52 billion) in the first quarter, up 85.8 percent compared with the same period last year, according to the data.

Exports soared to 29.61 billion yuan, registering a 95.8 percent increase over the same period last year. Imports totaled 19.41 billion yuan, a rise of 72.3 percent.

The trade of mechanical and electrical products during the period reported remarkable growth of 117.21 percent.

The inland province's trade volume with countries and regions that have joined the Belt and Road Initiative hit 12.81 billion yuan in the quarter, up 116.1 percent year-on-year.