NANJING, March 13 -- East China's Jiangsu Province reported a foreign trade volume of 850.4 billion yuan (about 119.9 billion U.S. dollars) in the first two months of 2024, up 13.4 percent year on year, local customs said on Wednesday.

During the period, the province's exports rose 11.9 percent year on year reaching 541.6 billion yuan, while its imports stood at 308.8 billion yuan, a yearly increase of 16.2 percent, according to Nanjing Customs.

In the first two months of this year, the trade volume of Jiangsu's private enterprises surged by 28.1 percent year on year, reaching 396.9 billion yuan, accounting for 46.7 percent of the province's total trade. Foreign-funded enterprises in the province contributed 45.6 percent to the overall trade volume.

The province's trade with Belt and Road partner countries increased 17.8 percent year on year to 377.3 billion yuan in the period.