BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- China's goods trade surplus shrank 21.8 percent in the first quarter of this year as imports grew faster than exports, customs data showed Friday.

The country's goods exports rose 7.4 percent year on year in the first three months while imports grew 11.7 percent, resulting in a trade surplus of 326.18 billion yuan (about 51.85 billion U.S. dollars), according to the General Administration of Customs.