URUMQI - The foreign trade of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region grew 6.6 percent year on year in the first half of 2013, reaching $10.47 billion, local authorities said on Thursday.

Statistics released by Urumqi Customs showed that Xinjiang exported $9.08 billion worth of goods in the first six months in 2013, up 24.6 percent from a year earlier, while imports stood at $1.39 billion, dropping 45.1 percent year on year.

The Customs said Central Asia remains the largest export destination for Xinjiang produce. Exports to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tadzhikistan stood at $7.09 billion, accounting for 67.7 percent of the total foreign trade value.

Meanwhile, exports to southeast Asian countries' emerging markets, including Malaysia, Indonesia and India, witnessed increasing trend as well.

The foreign trade volume to the United States and Russia were $280 million and $220 million, down 35.2 and 34.7 percent, respectively.

Statistics shows that private enterprises in Xinjiang have become the main force of the region's foreign trade. The foreign trade volume of these enterprises totaled $8.2 billion and accounted for 78 percent of the total foreign trade volume.

The Customs said the major exports from Xinjiang were labor-intensive products and mechanical and electrical goods, and major imported products included iron ore, crude oil, refined oil products and steel products.