Foreign trade of southwest China's border province of Yunnan rose 19.7 percent year on year in the first eight months of this year, local customs authority said Thursday.

According to Kunming Customs, Yunnan's foreign trade totaled 146.65 billion yuan (21.53 billion U.S. dollars) in the period. Exports rose 31.8 percent year on year to 63.29 billion yuan, while imports increased 12 percent year on year to 83.36 billion yuan.

Trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) rose 22.6 percent to 72.53 billion yuan, accounting for 49.5 percent of Yunnan's imports and exports in the period.

Meanwhile, trade with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative expanded 17.1 percent to 104.23 billion yuan, accounting for 71.1 percent of Yunnan's imports and exports over the same period.