Customs data shows the province's total import and export value rose 5.5 percent year-on-year to a record 615 billion yuan in 2024, with trade with ASEAN climbing by 7.7 percent to 79.12 billion yuan, according to a provincial news conference in January.

　　Hebei's trade with Vietnam, a key ASEAN partner, surged 39.2 percent to 16.23 billion yuan last year.

　　The province's agricultural imports totaled 43.96 billion yuan, including 4.08 billion yuan worth of fresh durian from Vietnam and Thailand — a 76.8 percent surge.

　　“Our trade relations are growing closer,“ Wang Yulan, an official with Shijiazhuang Customs, said at the news conference.