Southwest China's Tibetan Autonomous Region reported US$161 million of foreign trade in 2003, a rise of 23.6 percent from a year earlier, according to the regional foreign trade department.

The total included US$121.6 million in exports, up 50 percent year-on-year, and nearly US$39.5 million in imports, down 19.8 percent.

Local exports and imports through border trade reached US$72.4 million and US$5.16 million in 2003, up 26.3 percent and 6.8 percent year-on-year, respectively.

Local exports to Asia rose 42 percent year-on-year to US$100 million in 2003, with the volume to Europe soaring by 110 percent to US$9.34 million and that to North America going up 39 percent to US$6.15 million.