Beijing posts 22.6 pct increase in trade

BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Beijing did 214.89 billion yuan (about 33.8 billion U.S. dollars) in foreign trade in January this year, up 22.6 percent year on year, Beijing Customs said on Wednesday.

The import volume reached 178.2 billion yuan, while export volume surpassed 36.69 billion yuan, both up by more than 20 percent compared with the same period last year, the customs said.

Trade volume between Beijing and ASEAN countries grew significantly to 20.78 billion yuan, with a year-on-year increase of 58 percent.

Meanwhile, the trade volume between Beijing and another two major trade partners, the European Union and the United States, rose 44.7 percent and 53.1 percent to reach 29.17 billion yuan and 23.07 billion yuan, respectively.