China's customs revenue reached a record 610 billion yuan (about 78 billion U.S. dollars) in 2006, up 15.65 percent year-on-year, said Mou Xinsheng, commissioner of the General Administration of Customs (GAC), on Tuesday.

Customs revenue increased mainly because the country's imports rose 20 percent, said sources with the GAC.

China's foreign trade volume rose 24 percent to 1.76 trillion U.S. dollars last year.

The increase in import prices of staple goods such as oil and iron ore also contributed to the growth in customs revenue.

Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi expressed appreciation of the work done by customs officials in contributing to the steady growth in national tax revenue.

She urged customs authorities to continue improving risk management mechanisms and to strengthen internal discipline.

Source: Xinhua