GUANGZHOU -- Dongguan city in South China's Guangdong province, one of the country's major manufacturing hubs, reported a total foreign trade volume of 1.03 trillion yuan (about $144.8 billion) in the first eight months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 14.6 percent, according to Huangpu Customs in the city.

Exports reached 629.68 billion yuan, up 9 percent, while imports stood at 395.92 billion yuan, surging 24.9 percent.

A specialized vessel carrying 4,200 metric tons of New Zealand kiwifruit recently docked at Dongguan Port, marking the third direct shipment of New Zealand kiwifruit to south China this year.

China is now the largest export market for New Zealand kiwifruit. Since the beginning of this year, Dongguan has imported 13,000 tons of New Zealand kiwifruit, gradually establishing a fruit import logistics network extending across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

As a major global production base for bicycles, Dongguan's Huangjiang township is home to several manufacturers specializing in mid-to-high-end bicycles and parts. From January to August, the export value of mountain bikes from Dongguan reached about 49.13 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10.4 percent.

During this period, the foreign trade of Dongguan's private enterprises surged 22.4 percent to 642.63 billion yuan, accounting for 62.7 percent of the city's total import and export value and playing a significant role in driving growth.

Mechanical and electrical products, which accounted for about 70 percent of Dongguan's total exports, recorded exports of 439.43 billion yuan from January to August, a year-on-year increase of 13 percent. Imports of such products soared 33.6 percent to 344.6 billion yuan, accounting for 87 percent of the city's total imports.

Exports of the "new three" products -- electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and solar cells -- saw particularly strong growth. In the first eight months, the value of the "new three" products exported under the supervision of Shatian Customs in Dongguan surged 160 percent year-on-year to 1.54 billion yuan.