HONG KONG (AP) — China's exports contracted in October, hit by a 25% drop in shipments to the United States, the government reported Friday.

Persisting trade tensions with Washington may get a respite in the final quarter of the year after President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed last week to de-escalate the trade war between the two largest economies. But trade friction still appears to be casting a pall on demand elsewhere.

Customs data show a 1.1% drop in China’s global exports in October compared to a year earlier, the weakest since February, following an 8.3% increase in September.

Imports rose 1% last month from the year before, compared with 7.4% growth in September.

China’s shipments to the U.S. have already fallen by double-digits for seven consecutive month

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