The trade surplus was about US$290 billion, it said.
In the first 11 months of 2008, external trade was US$2.38 trillion, up 20.9 percent year-on-year. The growth rate was 2.6 percentage points below the year-earlier level.
The 11-month trade surplus was US$255.95 billion, up 6.9 percent year-on-year.
Customs officials said that because of the worsening financial crisis and ensuing global recession, China's foreign trade fell 9 percent last November year-on-year, the first monthly decline since October 2001.
During November, exports fell 2.2 percent, vs. growth of 19.1 percent in October, while imports slid 17.9 percent, vs. a rise of 15.5 percent a month earlier.
The report predicted that as the financial crisis further affected the real economy and external demand shrank, China's exports would decline further.
