Foreign trade and business
　　Under the large environment of international economy, under the leadership of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the development of foreign trade and business of Hunan is an experience of twist development. Before 1978, the speed of development is fast though there were some twists. The exported value increased from 9,480,000 USD in 1951 to 159,180,000 USD in 1978 with the annual increasing of 11%. It was higher than the increasing speed of the agriculture and industry in the province at that time, and made a good base for the fast development later.
　　 In 1998, the total exported and imported value is 3,077,000,000USD, and it decreases 6.3% of 3,283,000,000USD in the last year. The export to the crisis area, such as Hongkong, Macao and the countries and regions in ASEAN decreases. The major exported goods such as textile, boxes, shoes, hats, non-ferrous metals, and industry and agriculture instrument decrease in large scale. The foreign trade enterprises in the charge of the department, especially some comprehensive ones decrease month by month, which leads to the decreasing of the proportion of it on the whole, province.
　　 In 1999, the foreign trade rises again. The total imported and exported value gets to 1,956,000,000USD, and it increases 4.8% of it in the last year. In it, there are 1,282,000,000 USD for export, and another 674,000,000 USD for import. In 1999, the volume of business for external contract and cooperation is 118,350,000USD, and there are 2034 persons are sent to work abroad. There are 13 new programs for international aid with the volume of 7,321,600USD. In 1999, there are 321 new programs invested by foreign traders directly, and the contract capital is 526,000,000 USD. There are 719,000,000 USD, which is put to the position, in it there are 554,000,000USD, which is invested by foreign traders directly.