Feb 14 (LTIT) - China's import and export growth improved last month.

The country's imports were worth USD178 billion last month in a drop of 1.5 percent per year, but much better than December's 7.6 percent annual fall, data released today by China's General Administration of Customs show.

Exports stood at USD217.6 billion, an annual rise of 9.1 percent,  as against December's 4.4 percent annual drop, per the statistics.

The total value of imports and exports reached USD396 billion in 4 percent growth compared with a year ago.

Last month's trade surplus was USD39 billion in a more than twofold rise per year.

Trade frictions between the world's two biggest economies have taken their toll on Sino-US trade figures.

Chinese exports to the US in dollars in January dropped over 2 percent annually, while imports fell about 41 percent per year. China still logged a USD27.3 billion trade surplus between the two countries, however, a little narrower than December's USD29.9 billion.

A new round of high level Chinese-US trade talks started today, with officials from Washington and Beijing -- where the talks are being held -- trying to hammer out a trade compromise by tomorrow before higher tariffs on both countries' exports activate on March 2.