WASHINGTON -- The US-China Business Council (USCBC) announced Wednesday US exports to China reached $103.9 billion in 2011, the first time it had passed the 100-billion-dollar mark.

China remained America's third-largest export market. As a buyer of US goods, China ranks behind only Canada and Mexico, the two immediate neighbors with whom the United States has a regional free-trade agreement, the USCBC said in releasing its annual report on US State Exports to China.

California, Washington and Texas were the three largest states in terms of export volume to China last year, the report said.

"Exports to China are vital to America's economic health and create good jobs for American workers," USCBC Vice-President Erin Ennis said.

"Between 2000 and 2011, total US exports to China rose 542 percent, from $16.2 billion in 2000 to a record-breaking $103.9 billion in 2011. In addition, US exports to China recovered faster after the recession than exports to anywhere else in the world," Ennis said.

The USCBC is a private, nonpartisan, non-profit organization of roughly 240 American companies that do business with China.