CHINA'S foreign trade figures continued to fall in August, but their downward rate slowed, the General Administration of Customs said today.

The total value of imports and exports for August was US$191.7 billion, a decrease of 20.6 percent compared with the same month last year, but a 2.3 percent increase from July.

Imports stood at US$88 billion, a decrease of 17 percent compared with the same month last year, an increase of 3.4 percent from July.

Exports dropped 23.4 percent from a year earlier to US$103.7 billion but their value rose 1 percent from July.