OTTAWA, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Canada's trade deficit hit a record 4.14 billion Canadian dollars (about 3.21 billion U.S. dollars) in March as imports increased more than exports, Statistics Canada said on Thursday.

Canada's imports jumped 6 percent to a record 51.7 billion Canadian dollars in March, while exports rose 3.7 percent to 47.6 billion Canadian dollars, data showed.

The imports increases were recorded in nine of 11 sectors, with motor vehicles and parts and also consumer goods being larger gainers.

As for exports, aircraft and other transportation equipment and parts, farm, fishing and intermediate food products, and energy products contributed the most to the widespread increase. Exports excluding energy products rose 3.6 percent.

As a result, Canada's trade deficit with the world widened from 2.9 billion Canadian dollars in February to a record 4.1 billion Canadian dollars in March.

In March, Canada's total trade with countries other than the United States reached a record 31.2 billion Canadian dollars, with imports increasing 11.5 percent and exports up 11.4 percent.

Meanwhile, imports from China led the increase with 26.6 percent, mainly on higher imports of computers and computer peripheral equipment and of communications and audio and video equipment. Other notable increases were in imports from the Netherlands and Germany.

Higher exports to countries other than the United States were mostly attributable to the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Japan. (1 Canadian dollar equals 1.29 Canadian dollars)