TIANJIN, June 23 -- North China's Tianjin port saw its foreign trade surge by 8.4 percent year on year to 812.1 billion yuan (about 113.1 billion U.S. dollars) in the first five months of the year, according to Tianjin Customs.

From January to May, trade volume with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations totaled 127.08 billion yuan, up 26.4 percent year on year, and this growth rate secured the top position among the port's major trading partners.

Private enterprises contributed 448.23 billion yuan of the total trade volume, up 23.4 percent year on year, the customs said.

The port ranked first among the country's ports in aircraft imports. A total of 46 aircraft were imported over the period, twice the number during the same period of last year, the customs said.

The port also saw increased imports of soybeans and frozen goods over the period.

It saw robust exports of automobile and auto parts, up 40.2 percent and 45.5 percent, respectively.