Aerial photo taken on June 30, 2022 shows a China-Europe freight train ready for departure at the Tuanjiecun station in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.  (Xinhua/Tang Yi)

CHONGQING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality saw its foreign trade reach 496.76 billion yuan (about 73.3 billion U.S. dollars) in the first seven months of 2022, marking a year-on-year increase of 12.3 percent, according to the city's customs authorities.

Of the total foreign trade volume, exports rose 17.5 percent year on year to 324.48 billion yuan, and imports gained 3.6 percent to hit 172.28 billion yuan.

From January to July, the import and export of foreign-invested enterprises in Chongqing reached 233.41 billion yuan, up 11.9 percent year on year. The import and export of private enterprises reached 223.1 billion yuan, up 15.8 percent year on year.

During this period, Chongqing's foreign trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Union and the United States went up 5.8 percent, 4.6 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively, from the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the municipality's trade with other members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership grew by 14.7 percent year on year, while its trade with countries along the Belt and Road registered a year-on-year increase of 9.9 percent.