WUHAN - Central China's Hubei province saw a 39.5-percent growth in foreign trade in the first seven months of 2021, local customs authorities said Wednesday.

Hubei's import and export value totaled approximately 287.4 billion yuan ($44.34 billion) over the period, data from Wuhan Customs showed.

The foreign trade value contributed by the province's private sector reached 166.44 billion yuan, up 51.8 percent year-on-year, accounting for 57.9 percent of the province's total.

During the period, the province's trade with its major trading partners, namely the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the United States and the European Union, reached 39.87 billion yuan, 39.41 billion yuan and 38.06 billion dollars respectively.

Notably, Hubei's foreign trade with the ASEAN countries increased over 60 percent year-on-year in the same period.