BEIJING, April 22 -- China's postal industry posted steady growth in business revenue in the first quarter (Q1) of the year, official data showed.

The sector's combined business revenue totaled 356.21 billion yuan (about 51.81 billion U.S. dollars) in Q1, up 9 percent year on year, according to data from the State Post Bureau.

In March alone, the industry's revenues rose 17.5 percent to 129.29 billion yuan.

China's courier companies handled 26.89 billion parcels in the first three months, surging 11 percent from a year earlier. The combined business revenue of the sector amounted to 258.96 billion yuan during the period, a yearly increase of 8.2 percent.