BEIJING, Sept. 10 -- China's imports of major commodities, including coal, crude oil and natural gas, saw a significant increase in the first eight months of the year, amid the country's continuous economic recovery, customs data showed.

During the January-August period, the country imported 306 million tonnes of coal, up 82 percent year on year, while imports of crude oil and refined oil surged 14.7 percent and 100.1 percent, respectively, to 379 million tonnes and 30.55 million tonnes, according to the General Administration of Customs.

The country's imports of natural gas rose 9.4 percent year on year to 77.7 million tonnes in the first eight months, the data showed.

The per-tonne price of these commodities all edged down, the data revealed.

The data emerged as indicators showing signs of strengthening economic momentum. The purchasing managers' index for the country's manufacturing sector continued to rise in August, reaching 49.7, up from 49.3 in July, 49 in June and 48.8 in May.