LHASA, July 22 -- Foreign trade in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region surged 132.4 percent year on year in the first half (H1) of 2024, local authorities said on Monday.

The region's total import and export value surpassed 3.8 billion yuan (about 522.7 million U.S. dollars) during the period, with its growth rate ranking first nationwide, according to the Lhasa Customs.

Of the total, Xizang's exports grew 122.9 percent year on year to over 3.2 billion yuan, and its imports climbed to 591 million yuan, up 202 percent year on year.

During this period, Xizang saw the number of its foreign trade partners increase by 36 compared to the same period last year. Labor-intensive products and mechanical and electrical goods are the region's main foreign trade commodities.

Notably, over 90 percent of the region's foreign trade enterprises were private enterprises, contributing some 3.72 billion yuan of imports and exports, up 133.7 percent year on year.