Import-export growth up in Q1

　　Changsha county has witnessed growth in exports and imports in the first quarter with its volume accounting for one third of the total for Changsha and one tenth of the total for Hunan province.

　　Import and export volume in the county hit 5.45 billion yuan ($798 million) in the first three months, a 31.3 percent increase year-on-year. Exports totaled $375 million, up 46 percent, and the imports reached $423 million, up 20.5 percent year-on-year.

　　Joint ventures and foreign-funded companies such as Lens Technology and GAC Mitsubishi Motors made the biggest contribution to the growth, adding more than 67 percent of the total volume.

　　Asia remained the biggest overseas market for Changsha county spending $487 million and accounting for 61.1 percent of the total. Japan, Europe, North America and South America are important markets for the county as well.

　　The majority of trade consisted of mechanical, electrical and high-tech products.

　　"It was surprising to see such good momentum in the export of automobile products and engineering machinery," said an official of the county's commerce bureau.

　　Agricultural products also made breakthroughs with the exports earning $18.82 million, up 51.5 percent, and the imports increasing 56.2 percent year-on-year.

Changsha county has witnessed growth both in exports and imports in the first quarter of 2017. [Photo/csxnews.com]