BEIJING, May 3 (Xinhua) -- China's major ports reported growth in container throughput in mid-April, data from an industrial association shows.

From April 11 to 20, container throughput at China's eight key ports increased 17.8 percent year on year, according to the China Ports and Harbours Association.

Specifically, the container throughput for foreign trade rose 22.3 percent from a year earlier during the same period.

The growth rate of container throughput at Ningbo Zhoushan port exceeded 30 percent in mid-April, while that of Shanghai, Xiamen and Shenzhen ports exceeded 20 percent, said the association.

The boom in container throughput for foreign trade came amid the rapid expansion in China's exports, with its exports surging 38.7 percent year on year in the first quarter of this year.