The 6.9 percent decline in the total of imports and exports, according to figures released Monday by the General Administration of Customs, was well below Beijing's official goal of a six percent rise in two-way trade for this year.
中国海关总署星期一公布的数字显示，中国的进出口总值2015年上半年比去年同期下降百分之6.9，大大低于中国政府为今年制定的进出口总值增长百分之6的目标。
For the month of June, the customs office says exports rose 2.8 percent, an improvement over May. Imports dropped by 6.1 percent last month.
海关官员说，6月份出口增长百分之2.8，比5月有所改善。进口比上个月下降百分之6.1。
China posted a $46.5 billion trade surplus, an increase of 47 percent from the year before.
中国目前贸易顺差为465亿美元，同比增长百分之47。
The customs office say the mixed economic numbers are due to lagging demand among consumers in China's domestic market, as well as sluggish demand in foreign markets.
海关官员说，导致经济数字好坏参半的原因在于中国国内市场消费需求滞后，外国市场需求低迷。