Guangdong's exports to the European Union (EU) and the Middle East grew by 40.2 per cent and 39.8 per cent respectively in the first six months of this year.

Orders from the EU and the Middle East were valued at US$9.21 billion and US$1.43 billion respectively between January and June, despite the Iraq War, according to statistics from Guangdong Customs yesterday.

The big export increases to these two markets helped Guangdong reach a total foreign trade volume of US$124.57 billion in the first six months of the year, up year-on-year by 27.3 per cent.

Guangdong's foreign trade volume represented 33.1 per cent of the country's total. The province, China's biggest foreign trader, had a foreign trade surplus of US$7.17 billion from January to June.

Guangdong had realized 50.5 per cent of the province's annual export targets as of the end of last month.

The sustainable growth of Guangdong's foreign trade indicated that SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which seriously hit Guangdong in the first half of the year, failed to affect the province's foreign trade industry, according to Wu Sihai, an official from Guangdong Customs, yesterday.

"And the Iraq War had little impact on Guangdong's foreign trade," Wu said.

China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the United States, and the EU continued to be the top three buyers of Guangdong products this year.

Guangdong's exports to Hong Kong and the United States came to US$23.05 billion and US$15.66 billion, up year-on-year by 21.6 per cent and 24.8 per cent respectively.

Foreign-funded companies and joint ventures are playing a leading role in Guangdong's foreign trade industry.

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