China's exports fell 0.3 per cent in September from a year earlier, ending two consecutive months of rises and reverting back to the trend of decline.
Imports, however, increased 7.4 per cent last month from a year ago, accelerating from August's 7 per cent rise, the General Administration of Customs said.
This left China's trade surplus at USD 15.2 billion in September, compared with USD 28.52 billion in August.
Taking into account exchange rate fluctuations, the country's foreign trade volume rose 3.3 per cent in September, down from 7.1 per cent increase in August and 7.8 per cent rise in July, Zheng Yuesheng, administration spokesman said.
In the first nine months of the year, exports and imports gained 7. 7 percent from a year earlier, with the trade surplus growing 14.4 per cent year on year to USD 169.4 billion, state run Xinhua news agency reported.
Trade with the European Union, China's largest trade partner, dipped 0.8 per cent year on year during the January-September period, compared with a 3.1 per cent decrease registered in the first half of 2013.
Trade with the United States, China's second-largest trade partner, rose 6.7 per cent in the first nine months, while that with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members increased 11.6 per cent.
Zheng said there were signs of recovery for Sino- Japanese foreign trade in the second half of the year.
China's exports to Japan edged up 1.5 per cent year on year last month, reversing a declining trend starting from July 2012, he said.
