GUANGZHOU — South China's Guangdong province saw its foreign trade grow 2.8 percent year-on-year to hit 3.91 trillion yuan (about $579.68 billion) in the first half of 2022, local customs authorities said on July 19.

The province's exports climbed 7.3 percent to 2.47 trillion yuan, while imports were down 4 percent to 1.44 trillion yuan.

In June alone, Guangdong's foreign trade rose 7.1 percent year-on-year to 703.42 billion yuan.

In the first half, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was the province's largest trading partner, with trade between Guangdong and ASEAN members reaching 617.56 billion yuan, representing an increase of 4.9 percent year-on-year.

The province saw growth in its exports of mechanical and electronic products as well as labor-intensive products, with imports of grains and crude oil also jumping during the period.