BEIJING, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Chinese mainland in actual use climbed by 13.2 percent year on year in March, the Ministry of Commerce said Friday.

In the first three months, FDI in the Chinese mainland in actual use totaled 269.2 billion yuan (37.35 billion U.S. dollars), down 10.8 percent year on year.

During the January-March period, 12,603 new foreign-invested enterprises were established nationwide, representing a year-on-year growth of 4.3 percent, the ministry said. ■