China's foreign trade grows 27.1% year-on-year in 1st half

China's foreign trade reached 18.07 trillion Chinese yuan ($2.79 trillion) in the first half of 2021, up 27.1% year-on-year, official data said Tuesday.

The figure indicates 22.8% growth from the pre-pandemic level in 2019, the General Administration of Customs said.

The country's exports saw an annual rise of 28.1%, while imports surged 25.9% in the same period from a year earlier, the administration said.

According to customs figures, the country's imports and exports rose 22% annually to $500 billion this January to June, posting an increase for the 13th month in a row.