The value in renminbi of Chinese merchandise exports fell to 13.84 trillion yuan (US$2 trillion) last year, 2 percent less than the year before, while the value of imports rose by 0.6 percent to 10.49 trillion yuan, Xinhua reports.

The Government-run news agency quotes General Administration of Customs spokesman Huang Songping as saying the conditions for Chinese trade with the rest of the world were “complicated” last year, but that trade began recovering in the second half.

Fourth-quarter exports were 0.3 percent greater than a year earlier and fourth-quarter imports grew by 8.7 percent, Xinhua says.