TIANJIN, May 5 -- North China's Tianjin Port saw its foreign trade top 498 billion yuan (about 72 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2023, up 24 percent year on year, according to Tianjin Customs.

Over the period, its trade with countries along the Belt and Road totaled 180.77 billion yuan, up 49.7 percent year on year.

The port's trade with its major partners -- the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Union, the United States, Australia, the Republic of Korea and Brazil -- accounted for 56.9 percent of its total foreign trade volume in the first three months of this year.

The port's exports of mechanical and electrical products grew 45.3 percent to 111.56 billion yuan in the first quarter.