China's foreign trade growth continued to pick up in the first quarter, as the country's supportive policies initiated last year began to take effect amid the improving economy.

In the first quarter, China's foreign trade -- exports and imports combined -- increased 13.4 percent year-on-year to 974.67 billion U.S. dollars, faster than the country's 6.2-percent trade growth for 2012, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said Wednesday.

Trade surplus expanded to 43.07 billion U.S. dollars from 210 million U.S. dollars during the same period last year.

In March alone, China's exports increased 10 percent year-on-year, narrowing from the 21.8 percent rate seen in February, while imports growth bounced back to 14.1 percent following a 15.2-percent drop in the previous month, the GAC said.

The month saw a trade deficit of 880 million U.S. dollars, in contrast with the 15.25 billion U.S. dollars surplus in February.