Yiwu, the largest small commodity market in China and one which supplies half of the world's Christmas products, saw strong growth in trade with the China's fellow BRICS countries last year, according to local customs authorities. BRICS refers to leading emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Exports to Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa reached US$1.03 billion in 2011, up 52% from the previous year, said a statement issued Monday by the customs department in Yiwu, a city in east China's Zhejiang province.

Exports to Russia increased eight fold year-on-year, a trend which which authorities credited to Russia's WTO entry last year.

Customs authorities said they believe that the robust growth has, to some extent, offset the negativity caused by the eurozone debt crisis and instabilities in the Middle East.

The city's total export value stood at US$9.87 billion last year, up 15% from a year ago, according to the statement.

Please contact us in case of Copyright Infringement of the photo sourced from the internet, we will remove it within 24 hours.