(Yicai Global) March 8 -- China's trade surplus with the rest of the world plummeted 87 percent in February from a year earlier, shrinking to USD4.1 billion.

Exports of goods dropped almost 21 percent to USD135.2 billion last month, while imports dipped 5.2 percent to USD131 billion, the General Administration of Customs said today. It gave no explanation.

Seasonal factors such as the Chinese New Year may have played a role.

For the first two months of this year, the surplus fell 13.6 percent to USD43.7 billion from the same period a year earlier.

Editor: Ben Armour