An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 25, 2024 shows a view of the load-transfer yard of Horgos railway port in Horgos, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Chen Shuo)

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region saw its foreign trade expand 15.4 percent to a total of 108.16 billion yuan (around 15 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2025, according to data from customs authorities.

During the period, the autonomous region's exports hit 95.17 billion yuan, while imports reached 12.99 billion yuan, Urumqi Customs said.

Zhao Rui, an official with Urumqi Customs, attributed the growth to a rebound in Xinjiang's major trading markets and strong momentum from emerging markets.

Xinjiang's trade structure is continuing to improve, Zhao said, adding that general trade became the autonomous region's largest trade category in the January-March period, growing 66.7 percent year on year and accounting for over half of Xinjiang's total foreign trade -- an indication of rising enterprise development capabilities.

The autonomous region aims to achieve robust social and economic development in 2025, as it celebrates the 70th anniversary of its establishment this year.

Xinjiang has an annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth target of around 6 percent, after its GDP topped 2 trillion yuan last year, according to the region's government work report.

In 2025, Xinjiang will further advance its high-quality development, deepen reform and expand high-level opening up, the report said.