BEIJING: China's foreign trade reached a new high in the first half (H1) of this year, providing more momentum for the economic recovery, Xinhua News Agency said on Friday. The goods trade volume expanded 6.1 percent year-on-year to 21.17 trillion yuan (about US$2.97 trillion) in the January-June period, according to the General Administration of Customs. Exports rose 6.9 percent, while imports climbed 5.2 percent. In the second quarter, imports and exports gained 7.4 percent in total compared to a year earlier, notably higher than the 4.9 percent increase in the first quarter of this year and 1.7 percent in the fourth quarter of last year. Source: Emirates News Agency