China saw surging commodity imports in the first quarter of this year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

The country imported 283 million metric tons of iron ore, up 8 percent on a yearly basis between January and March, while its crude oil and natural gas imports grew respectively by 9.5 percent and 19.6 percent year-on-year to 139 million tons and 29.39 million tons.

Meanwhile, China's imports of soybeans grew by 19 percent on a yearly basis to 21.18 million tons. The imports of corn and wheat surged by 437.8 percent and 131.2 percent year-on-year to 6.73 million tons and 2.93 million tons, respectively.