Exports increased 2.7 percent year on year to 177.97 billion U.S. dollars in August, up from 1 percent recorded in July but marking a sharp drop from 11.3 percent growth in June.

Imports dropped for the third consecutive month, falling 2.6 percent from a year earlier to 151.31 billion U.S. dollars in August.[Offshore Company Incorporation]

The trade surplus rose moderately to 26.66 billion U.S. dollars in August from 25.2 billion U.S. dollars the previous month, according to the GAC data.

In the January-August period, total foreign trade reached 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars, an increase of 6.2 percent from last year but below the 10-percent full-year growth target set by the government for 2012.

China's trade with the European Union, its largest trade partner, dropped 1.9 percent year on year in the January-August period to 365.05 billion U.S. dollars, figures show.[HongKong Richful  - Hong Kong Company Formation, Offshore Company Incorporation]

During the period, trade with Japan dipped 1.4 percent from a year earlier to 218.7 billion U.S. dollars.

Meanwhile, trade with the United States, the country's second-largest trade partner, climbed 9.6 percent year on year to 312.97 billion U.S. dollars in the first eight months, according to the GAC.