China's exports rose 11.6 percent from one year earlier in October while imports climbed 2.4 percent year on year, the General Administration of Customs said Saturday.

The October trade surplus widened to 31.99 billion US dollars from 27.67 billion US dollars in September and 26.66 billion US dollars in August.

In the first ten months, the country's foreign trade volume expanded 6.3 percent from the same period of last year, the administration said.

China targets 10 percent growth in total foreign trade this year, a figure which officials concede is going to be hard to achieve.