The value of mainland exports rose 5.9 percent last month in year-on-year terms, according to official data from the General Administration of Customs published by the government-run Xinhua news agency.

The value of imports increased by 10.8 percent last month compared to the same time last year, the report says.

In the first eight months of this year, exports from the mainland were down by 1 percentage point, while imports fell by 2.9 percentage points compared to the same period last year.

The trade surplus was 346 billion yuan (US$51.9 billion) last month, down 5.1 percentage points in year-on-year terms. Compared to the same period last year, the trade surplus for the first eight months of this year was up by 5 percentage points to 2.31 trillion yuan.