BEIJING - China, the world's largest producer of ceramics, exports 2.2 billion ceramic works of art each year at a total value of $1.5 billion, a national trade association said Saturday.

More than 5 billion of the 27 billion ceramic products that the country produces each year are considered to be works of art, valued at nearly 50 billion yuan ($7.82 billion), according to the China Ceramics Industrial Association (CCIA).

The ceramic artisan industry's production and exports both grow at an annual rate of approximately 10 percent, creating 300,000 jobs each year in the process, the CCIA said during a ceremony held to honor cities that are well-known for their ceramic products.

China has been producing pottery and porcelain since pre-dynastic times.