China's exports in August grew at the slowest pace since the January-February period, when they rose just 2.3%.

China's exports grew last month but at a slower pace than in recent months, the country's customs agency said Monday.

Exports reached $321.8 billion (€274.4bn) in August, a 4.4% increase compared to the same month last year. That was down from a 7.2% jump in July. Meanwhile, imports totalled $219.5 billion (€187.2bn), a 1.8% rise.

China's large trade surplus has become a contentious issue with major trading partners including the US and the European Union. Low-priced Chinese imports are a boon for consumers but can lead to job cuts in manufacturing.

In the first eight months of the year, China's exported $785.3 billion (€669.7bn) more in goods and services than it imported from other countries, the monthly customs data showed.