Foreign trade in central China's Henan Province grew 17 percent year-on-year to record high US$7.737 billion in 2005, local Customs statistics show.

 

This included US$5.102 billion of exports, up 22.2 percent year-on-year, and US$2.635 billion of imports, up 8.1 percent year-on-year, according to the statistics of the Customs of Zhengzhou, capital of Henan.

 

Asia remains the largest trading market of Henan, with a total export volume of US$2.5 billion during the Jan.-Nov. period last year, a rise of 16 percent year-on-year, statistics show. The figure accounts for 54 percent of the province's total exports in the period.

 

Europe and North America are Henan's second and third largest trading market in 2005 with a total export volume of US$789 million and US$779 million, up 40.7 and 46.2 percent respectively.

 

The export to Africa grew by 42 percent to US$284 million in the first 11 months of 2005, making the remote continent the fourth export market of Henan.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 21, 2006)