XI'AN - Among China's provincial-level regions, Shaanxi in Northwest China has become the biggest exporter of heavy-duty trucks, power transmission and transformer equipment, aircraft and apple juice.

The foreign trade volume of Shaanxi province exceeded $40 billion during the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010), according to a statement released during a provincial economic development conference on Thursday.

The export volume of heavy-duty trucks grew from 1,300 units in 2006 to 12,287 units in 2009, with the sales revenue for the trucks climbing from 50 million to $450 million.

Exports of apple juice, another of the province's big earners, accounted for 60 percent of the country's total apple juice exports for the period, and 36 percent of the world's.

The province's exports have gradually expanded from traditional agricultural products to high-end ones. Planes made by AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Industry (Group) Co located in its capital city of Xi'an, were exported to more than ten countries and regions.

With an annual growth rate of more than 30 percent, Shaanxi's total volume of foreign trade surpassed $10 billion in 2010, a rise of 43.7 percent from the previous year, and 9.6 percentage points higher than the country's average level.

Shaanxi's exports grew partly due to the emergence of the photovoltaic and IT industries, as well as the manufacturing of clean energy vehicles, biomedicine and high-end equipment, according to the statement.