China's foreign trade up 1.2 pct in November

BEIJING, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's total goods imports and exports expanded 1.2 percent year on year in November, official data showed Thursday.

Last month, the country's foreign trade stood at 3.7 trillion yuan (about 519.84 billion U.S. dollars), according to the General Administration of Customs.

Exports grew 1.7 percent year on year to 2.1 trillion yuan, while imports edged up 0.6 percent from one year earlier to 1.6 trillion yuan, the data showed.

During the January-November period, the country's foreign trade stayed unchanged compared to one year earlier, at 37.96 trillion yuan, according to the data.

In the first 11 months, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remained China's largest trade partner. China's trade with ASEAN countries rose 0.1 percent year on year to 5.8 trillion yuan, accounting for 15.3 percent of the country's total trade value.

China's trade with the European Union eased 2.2 percent from a year earlier, while its trade with the United States declined 6.9 percent year on year during the January-November period. Its trade with Belt and Road Initiative participating countries rose 2.6 percent year on year.

A breakdown of the data showed China's exports of machinery and electronic products, accounting for 58.6 percent of total exports, increased 2.8 percent during the period, and the export value of automobiles surged 79.6 percent from a year earlier.