BEIJING -- China's commercial vehicle production and sales continued to maintain rapid growth during the first seven months of this year, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed.

Sales of commercial vehicles surged 15.9 percent year-on-year to 2.26 million units during the period, while the output of such vehicles jumped 16.9 percent to 2.25 million units, according to the association.

Production and sales of coaches and trucks both registered double-digit growth compared with the same period last year, with coach sales soaring 25.1 percent year on year to 262,000 units, the data showed.

In July alone, China's sales of commercial vehicles stood at 287,000 units, up 16.8 percent year-on-year.

During the January-July period, China's exports of commercial vehicles reached 427,000 units, surging 32.5 percent year-on-year, the data also revealed.