China's imports and exports rose 9.8 percent in November year on year, ending a 12-month decline, to stand at US$208.2 billion, the General Administration of Customs announced Friday.

The trade surplus was US$177.96 billion in the January-November period, down 30.6 percent from a year earlier.

Exports stood at US$113.65 billion in November, down 1.2 percent from a year earlier, but were up 2.6 percent from October for the fifth consecutive monthly increase.

Imports rose 26.7 percent in November to US$94.6 billion.

From January to November, the country's imports and exports totaled US$1.96 trillion, down 17.5 percent compared with the corresponding period last year.

Imports for the first 11 months were US$893.02 billion, down 15.8 percent year on year; exports dropped 18.8 percent to US$1.07 trillion.

The EU remained China's biggest trading partner, though bilateral trade declined 17 percent to US$326.27 billion in value in the first 11 months; the United States was second with trade at US$266.54 billion, down 13.4 percent; Japan followed with trade down 17.4 percent to US$203.33 billion.

(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2009)