In the January-February period of the current year, China's total foreign trade value amounted to RMB 3.87 trillion ($632.35 billion), indicating a year-on-year rise of 0.9 percent, according to the Chinese customs authorities. In the given period, the total value of China's exports amounted to RMB 1.96 trillion ($320.26 billion), down 4.3 percent, while Chinese imports totaled RMB 1.91 trillion ($312.09 billion) in value, up seven percent, resulting in a trade surplus of RMB 55.06 billion ($9 billion), down 79.5 percent, all on year-on-year basis.

In February alone, China's foreign trade value amounted to RMB 1.53 trillion ($250 billion), down 7.5 percent, with a total export value of RMB 696.52 billion ($11.38 billion), down 20.4 percent, and a total import value of RMB 836.31 billion ($13.67 billion), up seven percent, all year on year. The trade surplus for the month in question was RMB 139.79 billion ($22.84 billion), compared to a trade surplus of RMB 93.43 billion ($15.27 billion) in February 2013.