SHIJIAZHUANG — North China's Hebei province saw its foreign trade grow by 5 percent year-on-year to 269.2 billion yuan (about $39.8 billion) in the first eight months of 2020, customs statistics showed.

In breakdown, Hebei's exports totaled 154.3 billion yuan, up 1.3 percent year-on-year, while its imports were 114.9 billion yuan, an increase of 10.2 percent, according to the Shijiazhuang customs.

From January to August, Hebei's general foreign trade reached 234.2 billion yuan, up by 4.8 percent year-on-year, accounting for 87 percent of the province's total import and export value.

Exports of mechanical and electronic products, labor-intensive products, and farm produce maintained growth during the first eight months, while steel exports saw a decline.

The province also registered robust growth in imports of iron ore, crude oil, natural gas, and soybeans in the Jan-Aug period.

Hebei's trade with the ASEAN countries reached 32.9 billion yuan during the period, up by 30.6 percent year-on-year, which was the fastest growth among the province's major foreign trade partners.

Trade between Hebei and countries along the Belt and Road increased by 1.1 percent to 80.7 billion yuan from January to August.