China's trade with the United States in 2012 grew 8.5 percent year-on-year to $484.68 billion, accounting for 12.5 percent of China's total foreign trade in 2012, Zheng Yuesheng, spokesman of the General Administration of Customs said at a news briefing on Thursday.

Outbound shipments to the US were worth $351.79 billion in 2012, up 8.4 percent year-on-year, while imports from the US rose 8.8 percent to $132.89 billion, leaving a trade surplus of $218.92 billion, up 8.2 percent year-on-year.

The US was China's second-largest trade partner, the biggest export destination, and the fifth-biggest import source.