China's exports growth in November slowed to 2.9 percent, compared with a 11.6 percent increase in October, while imports remained unchanged, the General Administration of Customs said on Monday.

Foreign trade in November rose 1.5 percent from a year earlier. The first 11 months saw China's foreign trade expand 5.8 percent from a year earlier, with exports increasing 7.3 percent and imports rising 4.1 percent, yielding a trade surplus of $199.54 billion.

Trade with the debt-troubled European Union dropped 4.1 percent year-on-year from January to November, compared with a 3 percent drop in the first 10 months.

Trade with Japan fell 2.9 percent in the January-November period amid territorial tensions, compared with a 2.1 percent decrease from January to October.

Trade growth with the United States slowed to 8.2 percent in the first 11 months from 9.1 percent growth in the January to October period, as the world's biggest economy is facing a fiscal cliff.

lijiabao@chinadaily.com.cn