China recorded a drop in the value of both its exports and imports last year in a further sign of slowing economic growth.

Customs authorities say exports amounted to 3.38 trillion dollars. That's down 4.6 percent from a year earlier. It's the first contraction in seven years.

Shipments to the US dropped 13.1 percent, a result of tensions between Beijing and Washington over semiconductors and other technologies. Exports to Europe declined 10.2 percent, and to Japan they fell 8.4 percent.

But shipments to Russia jumped 46.9 percent. That pushed up the value of all trade with Russia to a record 240.1 billion dollars.

China's annual imports also contracted by 5.5 percent on the back of weak domestic demand. That was largely due to a prolonged slump in the real estate market and a tough employment situation.