China's foreign trade volume totaled 147.64 billion US dollars in the first two months of 2004,up 35.4 percent year-on-year, latest figures from the General Administration of Customs show.

The volume included 69.87 billion US dollars in exports and 77.77 billion US dollars in imports, up 28.7 and 42 percent respectively over the same periods last year.

The General Administration of Customs attributed the sharp increase to the rapid growth of China's bilateral trade with key partners, growing exports of mechanical and electrical products and soaring imports of crude oil, iron ore and other raw products.