BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- China's total goods imports and exports expanded 5.7 percent year on year in yuan terms in the first four months of this year, official data showed Thursday.

The country's exports rose 4.9 percent year on year in the January-April period, while imports climbed 6.8 percent, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC).

From January to April, the country's foreign trade in goods stood at 13.81 trillion yuan (1.95 trillion U.S. dollars). Exports reached 7.81 trillion yuan, while imports hit 6 trillion yuan.

In April alone, the foreign trade soared 8 percent to 3.64 trillion yuan.

The growth rate of imports and exports in the first four months has accelerated compared to the first quarter, and the scale has reached a new high in the same period in history, said Lyu Daliang, director of the GAC's Department of Statistics and Analysis. ■