ULAN BATOR, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia's foreign trade turnover grew by 12.2 percent year-on-year to reach 13.3 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of this year, according to data released Wednesday by the country's National Statistics Office (NSO).

The mineral-rich Asian country recorded a surplus in its foreign trade balance, with exports surpassing imports by 2.5 billion dollars, primarily driven by a notable increase in mining product exports, the NSO reported.

During the January-June period, the landlocked country engaged in trade with 148 economies.

Among the countries, China remained its position as Mongolia's foremost export destination and import source in the period, accounting for 92.7 percent and 40.8 percent, respectively.