Exports beat expectations, help lift Q1 foreign trade

China's foreign trade climbed 3.7 percent year-on-year to 7.01 trillion yuan ($1.04 trillion) in the first quarter, with exports in March posting a double-digit increase, a customs official said on Friday.

The trade figure came amid softening growth expectations in the global economy and trade because of the persistence of uncertainties.

Li Kuiwen, spokesman for the General Administration of Customs, said the steady growth of China's foreign trade in the first quarter is "a positive signal" that will help stabilize global trade.