Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region exported 2,100 tons of tomato sauce, worth US$1.1 million, to Kazakhstan during the first quarter of the year.

It is the first time for Xinjiang to export tomato sauce to a Central Asian country.

Tomato sauce is consumed daily by people in Central Asian countries, which neighbor Xinjiang, making the region a big market for tomato sauce exported from Xinjiang, said experts.

During the first three months of this year, Xinjiang exported altogether 77,500 tons of tomato sauce, worth US$40.45 million, up 18 percent year-on-year.

Most tomato sauce exported by Xinjiang goes to Italy, Russia and Japan.

(Xinhua News Agency April 21, 2004)