Rugao Port in Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

The total import and export volume of Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province reached 165.52 billion yuan ($23.05 billion) in the first five months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 14.5 percent, according to statistics from Nantong Customs.

This growth rate positions Nantong at the forefront provincewide.

Of this total, exports amounted to 109.9 billion yuan, representing a 19.3 percent year-on-year increase, while imports reached 55.62 billion yuan, marking a 6.1 percent year-on-year increase.

In May alone, Nantong's import and export volume totaled 34.99 billion yuan, representing a 15.3 percent year-on-year increase, marking 11 consecutive months of positive growth. Over the past three months, Nantong's monthly foreign trade growth rate has remained stable at around 15 percent.

There has been significant growth in trade with countries and regions such as ASEAN and the EU. In the first five months, Nantong's trade with ASEAN, the EU, and the Middle East totaled 25.2 billion yuan, 24.28 billion yuan, and 16.18 billion yuan, respectively, with growth rates of 25.6 percent, 19.8 percent, and 17.5 percent.

Traditional products such as ships, electrical equipment, and integrated circuits in Nantong have shown significant export growth. In the first five months, Nantong's exports of mechanical and electrical products reached 61.66 billion yuan, a 35.4 percent increase, with shipments of ships, electrical equipment, and ICs growing by 142.5 percent, 146.1 percent, and 31.7 percent, respectively.

Nantong Customs analysis indicates that the current trend of scale and growth rate in imports and exports continues to consolidate. Nantong's foreign trade growth rate is expected to remain around 15 percent in the first half of the year.