BEIJING -- China's major ports reported slight growth in container throughput in mid-August, data from an industrial association showed.

From Aug 11 to 20, container throughput at China's eight key ports increased 2.7 percent year-on-year, according to the China Ports and Harbours Association.

Specifically, the container throughput for foreign trade rose 5.3 percent from a year earlier during the same period.

The growth rate of container throughput for foreign trade at Xiamen and Guangzhou ports exceeded 20 percent in mid-August, said the association.

The boom in container throughput for foreign trade came amid the rapid expansion in China's exports.

In the first seven months of the year, the country's exports rose 24.5 percent year-on-year to 11.66 trillion yuan ($1.8 trillion), customs data showed.