GUANGZHOU - Foreign trade in South China's Guangdong province increased 1.3 percent year-on-year to 6.1 trillion yuan ($850.8 billion) in the first three quarters of 2022, customs statistics showed.

Exports totaled 3.89 trillion yuan, up 5.6 percent year-on-year, and imports hit 2.21 trillion yuan, down 5.6 percent, according to Guangdong customs.

From January to September, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remained Guangdong's largest trade partner, with imports and exports increasing 6.7 percent year-on-year to over 969.6 billion yuan.

During the period, Guangdong's exports of mechanical and electrical products and labor-intensive products grew rapidly, while the province also saw an increase in imports of agricultural products and crude oil.