HOHHOT, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The import and export volume of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region reached 26.2 billion yuan (3.89 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2019, up 11.2 percent year on year, the local customs office said.

The region's export volume rose 7.3 percent year on year to 9.25 billion yuan, while its import volume reached 16.9 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 13.6 percent.

Trade with countries along the Belt and Road topped 16.7 billion yuan and increased by 11.8 percent compared with the same period last year, accounting for 63.7 percent of the regions' total.

Trade with Mongolia, the region's biggest business partner, increased 29.3 percent to 7.49 billion yuan, the customs officials said.

The import and export volume of the region hit a record high of 103.44 billion yuan last year, a year-on-year increase of 9.9 percent.