The emerging ASEAN has become Zhanjiang’s largest overseas buyer, with the export volume exceeding 3.9 billion yuan (about $625 million) in 2014.

According to latest statistics from Zhanjiang Customs, Zhanjiang’s foreign trade volume with the ASEAN countries increased steadily last year to 5.3 billion yuan (about $833 million).

An official from Zhanjiang Customs said that foreign trade enterprises in Zhanjiang had expanded cooperation with the ASEAN countries thanks to new business opportunities brought by building the 21st Century Marine Silk Road, a key strategic diplomatic policy China is pursuing.

According to the official, Zhanjiang’s total import and export volume with ASEAN has increased to as much as six times that of a decade ago, and mutual investment has increased three times during the same period.

Statistics from the Zhanjiang Customs shows that the variety of Zhanjiang’s major export products to the ASEAN countries has increased from the previous six categories including aquatic products, sugar, glass, crude oil, steel and manganese ores, to the current 13 categories with newly added products including small household appliances, furniture, non-metallic mineral products, fodder, timber and chemical products. Traditional labor-intensive products still dominate, as the value of exported furniture grew 30 percent from a year ago to 1.7 billion yuan (about $272 million).