Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region saw an increasing trade with Kazakhstan last year, with the trade turnover surpassing 5 billion U.S. dollars, 1.7 billion more than 2004, statistics show.

For 13 straight years, Xinjiang has been leading the nation in terms of foreign trade with Kazakhstan. More than 70 percent of China's total trade volume with Kazakhstan comes from Xinjiang, according to the regional statistics bureau.

In the meantime, Xinjiang has been the largest exporter of Kazakhstan, which in turn has been the largest trading partner of Xinjiang since 1992.

Xinjiang chiefly exports grain, edible oil, ketchup, granulated sugar, cotton, textile, and costumes to Kazakhstan, while it mainly imports steel, fertilizer, aluminum, copper and other industrial raw materials from Kazakhstan.

Xinjiang led the 12 western Chinese provinces and autonomous regions in the past year with nearly 8 billion U.S. dollars of foreign trade, a year-on-year rise of at least 40 percent.

Xinjiang reported 5.04 billion U.S. dollars of exports and 2.9 billion U.S. dollars of imports last year, up 60 percent and 20 percent respectively year-on-year, according to the latest figures provided by customs in Urumqi, the regional capital.

In 2005, Xinjiang carried out trade exchanges with 148 countries and regions.

Kyrgyzstan was the second largest trading partner with Xinjiang last year, with a trade turnover of 740 million U.S. dollars, up 60 percent year-on-year, statistics show.

Last year, Xinjiang reported 340 million U.S. dollars of trade with Pakistan, which was the third largest trading partner of Xinjiang.

Source: Xinhua