SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) -- First quarter bilateral trade between North Korea and China reached an all-time high of US$1.37 billion, Voice of America reported Tuesday, citing data from China's Ministry of Commerce.

   The volume for the January-March period marked a surge of 40 percent from a year ago, when a record $972 million was reported in the two-way trade.

   North Korea's first-quarter exports to China rose 40 percent to $568 million, while its imports of Chinese goods also increased at the same rate to $800 million, according to the data.

   As a result, Pyongyang's quarterly trade deficit with China increased to $232 million, up from $170 million a year ago.

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