KUNMING — Southwest China's Yunnan province reported strong trade growth in the first 11 months of this year.

Yunnan's foreign trade totaled 274.3 billion yuan (about $43 billion) from January to November, up 18.9 percent from a year ago, Kunming Customs said on Dec 17.

The province's exports rose 16.5 percent year-on-year to 147.3 billion yuan, while imports gained 21.8 percent to about 127 billion yuan.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remained Yunnan's largest trading partner during the 11 months, with trade growing 2.7 percent year-on-year to 109.7 billion yuan. Among these countries, the province saw its foreign trade with Thailand and Laos surge by 18.2 percent and 18.5 percent year-on-year respectively.

Notably, the private sector contributed 153.1 billion yuan to foreign trade, up 18.9 percent year-on-year, accounting for 55.8 percent of the province's total.