By Agence France-Presse China's exports rose 17.2% in April compared to the same month last year and were significantly higher than export growth in the first quarter, state media said May 15. In April, exports reached $26.73 billion while imports reached $25.75 billion, up 17.8% year on year, according to the Xinhua news agency, which cited figures from the General Administration of Customs (GAC). The total trade volume in April hit a record high of $52.48 billion, a year-on-year increase of 17.5%. For the January-April period, exports rose 12% to $91.38 billion and imports grew 8.8% to $83.14 billion, compared to the same period in 2001. In the first quarter of the year, Chinese exports were up 9.9% over the same period in 2001. China's steady economic growth, accession to the World Trade Organization and trade promotion measures, as well as the robust recovery of the U.S. economy and healthy growth of the world economy, contributed to the fast trade growth, Xinhua quoted experts as saying. Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2002
