China's imports and exports declined slightly by 0.8 percent year-on-year to 6.18 trillion yuan ($890 billion) during the first two months of the year, official customs data showed on Tuesday.

Containers await shipping at a port in Xiamen, Fujian province. (Photo/Wang Xieyun, China Daily)

Exports increased 0.9 percent from a year earlier to 3.5 trillion yuan during the period while imports declined 2.9 percent to 2.68 trillion yuan, resulting in a trade surplus of 810.32 billion yuan, which expanded 16.2 percent on a yearly basis, the General Administration of Customs said.

The country's trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations surged 9.6 percent year-on-year during the period to 951.93 billion yuan, which accounted for 15.4 percent of China's foreign trade.

Trade with the European Union, the United States and Japan declined by 2.6 percent, 10.6 percent and 5.7 percent, respectively. The trade values in the regard were respectively 851.09 billion yuan, 702.98 billion yuan, 344.92 billion yuan.