A wharf in Zhangjiagang, Suzhou, Jiangsu province. [Photo/zjgonline.com.cn]

The value of foreign trade of Zhangjiagang, a county-level city in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, reached 32.75 billion yuan ($4.71 billion) in July, exceeding 30 billion yuan for the first time.

The city's foreign trade from January to July was worth 185.48 billion yuan, up 19 percent year-on-year and accounting for 12.3 percent of Suzhou's total. Imports and exports during the same period were valued at 103.63 billion yuan and 81.85 billion yuan, up 14.3 percent and 25.5 percent respectively compared to 2021.

The trade volume between Zhangjiagang and its major trading partners – Brazil, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the United States, and the European Union – all showed robust growth. Foreign trade between the city and countries along the Belt and Road totaled 67.74 billion yuan, while the figure with member states of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership was 65.54 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3.7 percent.

In the first seven months of this year, 3,538 companies in Zhangjiagang had imported or exported goods from or to overseas markets. Private companies accounted for 64.9 percent of the city's foreign trade.