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

URUMQI, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Horgos Port in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has become China's largest land port for commercial vehicle exports, having shipped more than 300,000 units so far this year, Urumqi Customs said on Friday.

In the first three quarters of this year, Xinjiang's foreign trade value reached 393.14 billion yuan (about 55.4 billion U.S. dollars) -- a year-on-year surge of 22.1 percent, reflecting a steady upward growth trend, the customs office said.

The port's success is part of a broader trend where private enterprises in Xinjiang have significantly boosted their activity, now accounting for 98 percent of foreign trade growth, with 3,629 such firms actively engaged, said Li Qinghua, vice commissioner of Urumqi Customs.

Notable export sectors include household appliances, lighting equipment, and vehicles and auto parts -- all reporting strong performance, Li added.

Xinjiang's trade with Belt and Road Initiative partner countries surged 14.2 percent year on year to 341.49 billion yuan in the first three quarters, with Central Asian nations remaining its top trading partners, accounting for 215.73 billion yuan collectively.

Li emphasized that future efforts will focus on establishing the core Silk Road Economic Belt area, enhancing regulatory efficiency, and empowering enterprises to drive high-quality foreign trade development.