BEIJING, Sept. 13 -- Beijing's auto vehicle imports continued to recover in August, with the monthly import volume exceeding 40,000 units for the first time this year.

The Chinese capital imported 43,000 auto vehicles last month, a level close to the monthly average of 45,000 units last year, following month-on-month increases for six consecutive months, Beijing Customs said.

The city's imports and exports totaled 2.39 trillion yuan (about 332 billion U.S. dollars) in the first eight months of 2023, up 3 percent from the same period last year, accounting for 8.8 percent of the country's total foreign trade.

During the period, its imports amounted to 2 trillion yuan, up 1.8 percent, and exports reached 391 billion yuan, up 9.3 percent.

During the Jan.-Aug. period, the city's top five trading partners were the European Union, the United States, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia and Brazil.