BEIJING, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Trade volume between Beijing Municipality and the European Union reached nearly 150 billion yuan (around 22 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of 2018, up by 11 percent year-on-year, according to latest local customs data.

The municipality's foreign trade volume reached 1.29 trillion yuan in the first half, up by 20.7 percent year on year. Imports increased by 18.9 percent while exports surged 29.2 percent, customs statistics showed.

Trade with the 28 EU countries accounted for 11.6 percent of total foreign trade. Trade with the United States amounted to 129.3 billion yuan, up by 26.3 percent, while trade with ASEAN countries saw a 54-percent surge to 125.5 billion yuan, accounting for 9.7 percent of total foreign trade.