China's trade with its No 1 trade partner the European Union dropped 20.2 percent year-on-year to US$48.78 billion in the first two months of 2009, according to the General Administration of Customs.

Trade with the United States and Japan decreased 17.4 percent and 25.7 percent respectively to $39.43 billion and US$28.56 billion.

Customs said the performance with the three biggest trade partners is better than the 27.2 percent drop in the country's overall trade in the same period.

(China Daily March 11, 2009)