CHONGQING — The foreign trade of Southwest China's Chongqing municipality grew 8.5 percent year-on-year to reach 625.95 billion yuan (about $87.3 billion) in the first nine months of 2022, according to the city's customs authorities.

In the period, exports rose by 11.5 percent year-on-year to 407.45 billion yuan, while imports gained 3.3 percent to hit 218.5 billion yuan, said Chongqing customs.

From January to September, the imports and exports of foreign-invested enterprises in Chongqing reached 294.24 billion yuan, up 8.2 percent year-on-year. The imports and exports of private enterprises hit 283.5 billion yuan, up 12.7 percent year-on-year.

During the period, Chongqing's foreign trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Union, and the United States went up 1.8 percent, 4 percent, and 3.1 percent, respectively, from the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the municipality's trade with other members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership grew 12.8 percent year-on-year, while its trade with countries along the Belt and Road registered a year-on-year increase of 6.9 percent.