The Chinese mainland's foreign trade reached US$1.17 trillion, up 24.4 percent, in the first seven months of 2007, according to customs sources.

The European Union remained its largest partner with a trade volume of US$190.1 billion, a growth of 28.5 percent over the same period of last year, followed by the United States with US$167 billion, up 17.5 percent, and Japan with US$130 billion, up 15.2 percent.

Hong Kong was the mainland's fifth partner, with nearly US$106 billion, up 23.2 percent, only after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with US$110 billion, up 27.5 percent.

The total trade volume included US$654.4 billion, up 28.6 percent, and US$517.6 billion in import, up 19.5 percent. The trade surplus was US$136.8 billion, or 77 percent of the figure for the whole of last year.

Customs sources said the country saw a robust growth of 28.4 percent in machinery and electrical products exports in the seven months, reaching US$369 billion. Export value of new- and high-tech products amounted to US$180.8 billion, up 24.7 percent.