China's exports fell for the fifth month in a row to US$90.29 billion in March, down 17.1 percent from a year earlier, the General Administration of Customs said Friday.

In February, the country's exports plummeted 25.7 percent year-on-year, the worst decline in more than a decade.

Imports slumped 25.1 percent year-on-year in March to US$71.73 billion, compared with a 24.1-percent decline in February.

Trade surplus rose to US$18.56 billion, compared with US$4.84 billion in the previous month.

(Xinhua News Agency April 10, 2009)