China's foreign trade volume in the first quarter of 2005 reached 295.2 billion US dollars, up 23.1 percent year-on-year, according to statistics released by the General Administration of Customs (GAC) in Beijing Monday.

Exports totaled 155.9 billion dollars, up 34.9 percent, imports 139.3 billion dollars, up 12.2 percent year-on-year.

In March, the value of China's exports amounted to 60.87 dollars, up 32.8 percent, 3.4 percentage points less than the growth rate in the first two months. That of Imports were 55.14 billion dollars, up 18.6 percent, 10.3 percentage points more than the growth rate of the first two months.

In the first quarter, exports and imports of processing goods maintained good growth.

Trade volume between China and its major partners, the European Union and the United States, grew fast in the first quarter. The EU remained the largest trade partner with China with a trade volume of 47.11 billion dollars, up 26 percent year-on-year. The United States remained second with a trade volume of 43.62 billion dollars, up 24.3 percent. Japan was third with a trade volume of 41.24 billion dollars, up 12 percent.

Guangdong, Jiangsu and Shanghai were the mainland's top trade regions.

Source: Xinhua