BEIJING -- China's foreign trade expanded 7.8 percent year-on-year in November, official data showed Monday.

Exports jumped 14.9 percent year-on-year while imports dipped 0.8 percent in yuan terms, the General Administration of Customs said.

In the first 11 months, China's foreign trade of goods totaled 29.04 trillion yuan (about $4.44 trillion), up 1.8 percent year-on-year, accelerating from an increase of 1.1-percent in the first 10 months, the administration said in a statement.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations remained China's largest trading partner during the period, followed by the European Union and the United States.

Private companies played a significant role in propelling trade growth, with their foreign trade expanding by 11.3 percent in the first 11 months to account for 46.4 percent of the country's total.