MSC Irina, the world's largest container vessel, docks at Ningbo Zhoushan Port in Zhejiang province on April 2. [JIANG XIAODONG/FOR CHINA DAILY]

HANGZHOU -- The foreign trade of East China's Zhejiang province rose 8.3 percent year-on-year to 1.56 trillion yuan ($225 billion) in the first four months of this year, according to Hangzhou Customs.

Of the total, exports exceeded one trillion yuan, up 9.8 percent year-on-year, while imports grew by 4 percent to 400.98 billion yuan.

From January to April, Zhejiang's foreign trade with the emerging markets of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa, registered an increase of 17.7 percent, 12.8 percent, 17.4 percent and 30.8 percent, respectively, accounting for 43.6 percent of the province's total.

Meanwhile, the province's trade with countries along the Belt and Road and other members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership rose by 17.6 percent and 9.9 percent, respectively.

During the period, mechanical and electrical products made a contribution of 45.5 percent to Zhejiang's total exports. Its imports of energy products, including crude oil, coal and natural gas, surged 14.5 percent.