South China's Guangdong province imported mechanical and electrical products worth 1.37 trillion yuan in the first seven months of the year, marking a 17.4 percent increase year-on-year, statistics released by Guangdong Customs revealed on August 12.

The figure accounted for 70 percent of Guangdong's total import value, driving overall import growth by 11.3 percentage points.

Notably, imports of integrated circuits, computers and components, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment amounted to 718.18 billion yuan, 220.23 billion yuan and 49.49 billion yuan respectively, reflecting year-on-year increases of 15.2 percent, 60 percent and 48.7 percent, the statement said.

During the same period, the import of grains, edible aquatic products, dairy products, beauty cosmetics and toiletries amounted to 24.3 billion yuan, 12.47 billion yuan, 10.58 billion yuan and 6.15 billion yuan, up year-on-year 17.5 percent, 35.8 percent, 21.2 percent and 8.1 percent respectively, it said.

The steady growth of imports demonstrated a strong domestic demand in the province, a global manufacturing base, the statement said.

Guangdong, China's biggest foreign trader, purchased products valued at more than 1.96 trillion yuan from foreign countries and regions in the first seven months, up year-on-year 9.3 percent.

The good import performance helped the province, an economic powerhouse of China, achieve a total foreign trade volume of 5.4 trillion yuan in the seven months ending July, up year-on-year 4.3 percent and representing 21 percent of the country's total.

Guangdong's trade growth rate outpaced the national average by 0.8 percentage points, the statement said.

The province's exports grew year-on-year 1.7 percent to hit 3 .44 trillion from January to July, the statement said.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations remained Guangdong's biggest trade partner, with an import and export volume of 889.23 billion yuan between January and July, up 5.8 percent year-on-year.

Trade with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and European Union, the province's second and third largest trade partners, reached 675.48 billion yuan and 643.05 billion, up year-on-year 8.5 percent and 7.8 percent respectively, said the statement.

The province's trade with countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative totaled 2.1 trillion yuan, up 4 percent year-on-year, accounting for 39 percent of Guangdong's total foreign trade volume, it said.