China's 2016 Exports Down 2% in Yuan Te

China's exports dropped 2.0 percent in 2016 in yuan terms, official data showed Friday, as sluggish global demand weighed on the world's number two economy.

The world's largest trader in goods, China's performance affects partners from Australia to Zambia, which have been battered as its expansion has slowed to levels not seen in a quarter of a century.

The country's total exports fell to 13.84 trillion yuan last year and imports edged up 0.6 percent to 10.49 trillion yuan, Customs said.

The country saw declines in sales of electro-mechanical products and labour-intensive goods, its major exports.

"There remain some obstacles facing China's foreign trade development," Customs said, adding the international trading environment was "severe and complex".

Customs typically publishes trade data in yuan terms before releasing them in dollar terms.

The yuan's recent slide against the dollar to eight-year lows helped lift exports in November.