The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remained as south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region's biggest trade partner in the first half of 2013, with trade volume hitting 6.14 billion U.S. dollars.

The figure accounted for 44.5 percent of the region's total foreign trade and grew 29.1 percent year on year, according to the regional statistics bureau.

Guangxi's exports to ASEAN countries grew 44.4 percent to 4.84 billion U.S. dollars, or 63.7 percent of the region's total exports, during the period. Guangxi's trade with Vietnam reached 4.95 billion U.S. dollars, up 35.8 percent year on year.

ASEAN has been Guangxi's largest trade partner for 13 consecutive years. The United States is the region's second-biggest trade partner, with bilateral trade hitting 1.2 billion U.S. dollars in the first six months.

Last year, trade between Guangxi and ASEAN amounted to 12.05 billion U.S. dollars, up 26 percent from 2011.

The China-ASEAN free trade area was established on Jan. 1, 2010.

The first half of 2013 saw year-on-year growth of 12.2 percent in China-ASEAN trade, which totaled 210.56 billion U.S. dollars, according to the Ministry of Commerce.