China's foreign trade up 29.2 pct in Q1

A US cargo ship docks at the Qingdao Port, Shandong province. (Photo by Yu Shaoyue/For China Daily)

BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- China's total goods imports and exports surged 29.2 percent year on year to 8.47 trillion yuan (about 1.29 trillion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of 2021, official data showed Tuesday.

Exports jumped 38.7 percent from a year earlier while imports climbed 19.3 percent in yuan terms, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said.

GAC spokesperson Li Kuiwen attributed the surge in foreign trade to China's continuous progress in epidemic prevention and control, as well as economic and social development.

The trade surplus expanded 690.6 percent to reach 759.29 billion yuan.