Foreign trade in west China's Tibet Autonomous Region amounted to 223.53 million US dollars in 2004, surpassing the 200-billion-US-dollar mark for the first time and representing a year-on-year growth of 38.72 percent, according to local authorities of commerce.

The total included 130.1 million US dollars in exports, up 6.92percent year-on-year and 93.45 million US dollars in imports, up 136.7 percent, the local commerce authorities said.

Of the exports, 27.72 million US dollars worth, or 21.3 percent, were products made in Tibet, up 110.47 percent over the year-earlier level, the commerce authorities said.

In another development, the autonomous region approved establishment of 12 foreign-invested projects last year. It absorbed 32.41 million US dollars in contracted foreign capital and actually used 26.99 million US dollars, up 273 percent and 478percent respectively year-on-year, the local commerce authorities said.

Source: Xinhua