Guangzhou's automobile exports have kept up momentum in the first half of the year, playing a big part in promoting the Guangdong provincial capital's foreign trade development, according to a statement released by the Guangzhou bureau of commerce on Wednesday.

According to the statement, Guangzhou sold more than 73,500 vehicles to the rest of the world from January to May, up year-on-year 29 percent.

The sustainable growth of automobile exports has become a new highlight of Guangzhou's foreign trade development, said the statement.

The southern metropolis has set a goal of selling more than 200,000 automobiles abroad in 2025, contributing to the city's sustainable economic growth, it said.

To achieve this goal, the city's government will continuously improve automobile export policies, enhance the automobile export business environment, and guide automobile export enterprises to increase their presence in the world market.

The city has now formed three core areas for the automobile industrial development in its Huadu, Huangpu, and Panyu districts, as well as three clusters of automobile export enterprises in Baiyun, Haizhu, and Nansha districts, said the statement.

Last year, Guangzhou's automobile export volume hit more than 154,000 units, reaching an export value of 18.01 billion yuan ($2.51 billion), up 53.1 percent and 41.2 percent year-on-year, respectively, according to the statement.