CHANGSHA — The imports and exports of Central China's Hunan province increased to 425.1 billion yuan (about $66 billion) in the first three quarters of 2021, an increase of 28.4 percent year-on-year, according to Changsha Customs.

Data showed that from January to September, Hunan's exports reached 293.3 billion yuan, up 34.9 percent, while imports stood at 131.8 billion yuan, an increase of 16 percent.

During the period, private enterprises were the main force that promoted the growth of foreign trade, with rise in the export of mechanical, electrical and labor-intensive products, while soybeans and iron ore saw a significant increase in import.

The province saw its trade with countries along the Belt and Road amount to 122.8 billion yuan in the first nine months of this year, rising 19.8 percent year-on-year.

From January to September, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remained the largest trading partner of Hunan, posting a trade volume of 66.9 billion yuan, up 19.3 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, bilateral trade volume with the United States soared 96.6 percent to 61 billion yuan.

The Customs said that the growth of foreign trade of Hunan was due to a series of supporting policies rolled out by the provincial government.