In the first three quarters, the value of foreign trade in Northeast China's Jilin province came in at 94.82 billion yuan ($14.3 billion) -- a 2 percent dip year-on-year, but a performance which nonetheless marked a turn in the fortunes of exports and imports, according to local media reports Nov 6.

The decline in the latest figure narrowed by 2.8 percentage points the decrease for the previous eight months -- and the decline was the smallest in Northeast China, indicating that Jilin's foreign trade was recovering faster than others.

In September alone, the total value of imports and exports in Jilin reached 12.62 billion yuan, an increase of 20.8 percent year-on-year, which was the highest value recorded in a single month in 2020.

The general trade and processing trade increased by 1.9 percent and 6.7 percent respectively in the first three quarters, accounting for 95.7 percent of the province's foreign trade.

In terms of trading partners, the European Union accounted for more than half, reaching 51.9 percent, while imports and export to Japan and Mexico were 10.15 billion yuan and 4.84 billion yuan, respectively, with increases of 29.7 percent and 49.1 percent year-on-year.

The foreign trade with countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative was worth 26.9 billion yuan, a decrease of 4.3 percent.

In terms of commodities, mechanical and electrical products, as well as agricultural products, were the main export commodities in the first three quarters. Of these, exports of rail transit equipment, as well as fresh and dried fruits and nuts, increased significantly year-on-year.

Imports of mechanical and electrical goods accounted for more than 80 percent of the total during the period, including 24.47 billion yuan of auto parts, up 17.3 percent. There were also imports of 3.9 billion yuan of agricultural products, an increase of 34.1 percent.