HOHHOT — North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region saw robust foreign trade growth in the first 10 months of 2022, statistics from the local customs showed on Nov 10.

The region's total import and export value hit 119.83 billion yuan (about $16.5 billion) from January to October, up 19.6 percent year-on-year.

Exports rose 28 percent to 49.11 billion yuan from the same period last year, while imports increased 14.3 percent to 70.72 billion yuan.

Notably, Inner Mongolia's private sector took the lead in boosting foreign trade growth. The foreign trade contributed by private enterprises increased 26.9 percent year-on-year to over 82 billion yuan, accounting for 68.8 percent of the region's total.

The region's trade with countries along the Belt and Road increased 26.2 percent year-on-year, and its trade with the members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership rose 4.9 percent during the period.