Foreign merchants check ski equipment at Yiwu International Trade Market in Zhejiang province, on Jan 7. [Photo/Shi Bufa for China Daily]

Zhejiang province's total imports and exports reached 989.01 billion yuan ($143.41 billion) in the first two months of the year, up 17.1 percent year-on-year and marking a record high for the same period, according to Hangzhou Customs data.

Exports rose 21.4 percent to 768.51 billion yuan, while imports increased 4.3 percent to 220.5 billion yuan.

Imports continued to expand to support industrial upgrading and consumption. In the first two months, imports of mechanical and electrical products reached 34.79 billion yuan, up 16.1 percent year-on-year. Consumer goods imports totaled 24.46 billion yuan, increasing 13 percent, with food imports rising 19.8 percent.

Trade with major partners maintained strong growth. Zhejiang's trade with the European Union reached 156.39 billion yuan, up 19.8 percent year-on-year. Trade with ASEAN and Africa grew 38.6 percent and 36.5 percent, respectively. Private firms remained the main driver, with imports and exports totaling 827.13 billion yuan, up 20.5 percent and accounting for 83.6 percent of the provincial total.

The export structure continued to upgrade. Strong global demand for new energy, artificial intelligence, and high-end manufacturing supported related exports. Exports of mechanical and electrical products reached 366.21 billion yuan, up 21.9 percent year-on-year. Exports of electric control equipment, wind turbines, and industrial robots increased by 41.8 percent, threefold, and 45.3 percent, respectively.