A merchant browses through clothes at a bustling night market in Yiwu, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/IC]

East China's Zhejiang province recorded 1.29 trillion yuan ($176.78 billion) in total foreign trade in the first quarter of 2025, a year-on-year increase of 7.3 percent, according to data from Hangzhou Customs.

Exports reached 970.75 billion yuan, up 11.1 percent, while imports dipped slightly by 2.8 percent to 322.47 billion yuan.

Trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative rose 7.8 percent to 724.18 billion yuan. Zhejiang also saw double-digit growth in trade with the EU (up 12.6 percent) and ASEAN (up 13.2 percent). Business with the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa also expanded steadily.

Electromechanical products led the export surge at 460.75 billion yuan, up 13.5 percent. Notably, home appliance exports grew 17.3 percent, auto parts 15.6 percent, and ship exports jumped 45.1 percent.

Imports of energy products climbed 10.9 percent to 23.38 million metric tons, driven by a 22.3 percent spike in coal imports. High-tech imports grew 39.3 percent, with high-end equipment and new materials seeing growth of 77.4 percent and 34.6 percent respectively.

Private enterprises dominated trade activity, contributing 1.05 trillion yuan — an 8.4 percent increase and accounting for 81.1 percent of total trade. Foreign-invested firms also saw growth, with exports up nearly 10 percent.

Cross-border e-commerce continued its upward trend, with exports reaching 82.22 billion yuan, up 3.3 percent. Trade through the province's comprehensive bonded zones rose 13 percent, outpacing the national average by 4.6 percentage points.