Sichuan's foreign trade sees 12.5% growth

Sichuan's foreign trade achieved double-digit growth at 12.5 percent year-on-year in the first half of this year, despite the nation's foreign trade still registering a drop, according to figures released on Monday by Chengdu Customs.

The inland province's foreign trade was $33.7 billion in the first half of this year, ranking 11 among China's 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. Chengdu, the Sichuan capital, contributes about 80 percent of Sichuan's total foreign trade, thanks to the export-oriented economic policy of the city government.

About 21.8 percent of Sichuan's foreign trade was with the United States, the province's biggest trade partner. The bilateral trade witnessed rapid growth in the first half of this year, with an increase of 34.4 percent from a year earlier.

Mechanical and electrical products accounts for the biggest proportion in Sichuan's foreign trade, worth $22.5 billion. Organic chemicals and agricultural products also witnessed decent growth in its export.