Guangdong Province, a major economic base in south China, is predicting a record US$110 billion in exports this year, the provincial customs authority said.
Exports by the province soared by 24.2 percent in the first 10 months, compared to the 20.6 percent growth rate for the nation as a whole.
Total exports by the province stood at US$96.57 billion in the 10 months, accounting for one third of China's total exports in the same period.
Overseas-funded enterprises exported US$56.18 billion worth of goods, accounting for 58.2 percent of Guangdong's total, while private enterprises reported the strongest growth with exports soaring by 210 percent to US$3.2 billion.
Exports by state-owned enterprises reached US$33.47 billion, or 34.7 percent of the province's total.
Hong Kong, the United States, the European Union, Japan, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Middle East were Guangdong's six largest export markets.
Electrical and machinery products remained the largest category of Guangdong's export products in the January-October period, accounting for 60.8 percent of its exports.
Guangdong's imports surged by 25.6 percent in the first 10 months to US$83.67 billion, with sharp growth reported in electrical and machinery products, farm products, steel, automobiles and automobile chassises and fertilizers.
(Xinhua News Agency November 14, 2002)
