Nantong Port. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

The imports and exports of Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province reached 62.32 billion yuan ($8.62 billion) in the first two months of this year, breaking the 60-billion-yuan mark for the first time during this period.

The city's foreign trade expanded by 14.1 percent year-on-year, surpassing the provincial average by 12.4 percentage points and ranking first in the province in terms of growth rate.

Exports amounted to 39.82 billion yuan, an increase of 15.4 percent year-on-year, while imports totaled 22.49 billion yuan, up 11.8 percent year-on-year.

Since the beginning of this year, Nantong's foreign trade has continued its strong development momentum from last year. Exports of traditional local products increased in the Jan-Feb period, with particular growth in exports of ships, electrical equipment, and integrated circuits.

Imports of energy and food products saw robust growth from January to February, and there was strong demand for certain materials and equipment, which has led to rapid growth in the import of related products.

In the future, Nantong plans to further accelerate the upgrading of its industrial structure, continuously enhance the competitiveness of its foreign trade to cope with potential risks, and sustainably consolidate its strong development trajectory.