Data from Changzhou Customs show that in the first quarter, the city’s foreign trade volume amounted to 66.14 billion yuan, an increase of 34.1 percent over the same period last year.

The figure ranked 5th in Jiangsu, accounting for 5.9 percent of the provincial total; with the import, export, and overall growth rates all above the provincial average.

Trade with the European Union (excluding the UK), the United States and the ASEAN countries all maintained substantial growth. The total trade value with the above-mentioned countries or regions increased by 30.9 percent, 47.8 percent and 36.9 percent respectively, accounting for 46.1 percent of the city's total. During the same period, Changzhou's trade volume with countries in the Belt and Road Initiative reached 19.57 billion yuan, up by 28.6 percent.

Also in the first quarter, Changzhou exported 910 million yuan of medical supplies for epidemic control, an increase of 109 percent. Labor-intensive products maintained the growth momentum, with exports recording 9.69 billion yuan, an increase of 25.7 percent. The export of mechanical & electronic products and high-tech products remained strong, registering 29.5 billion yuan and 8.09 billion yuan respectively, up by 42.3 percent and 25.7 percent.