BEIJING (AP) — China's March exports shrank 2.7 percent in a sign of weak global demand, while import growth decelerated.

Customs data on Friday showed export growth plunged from the 24.4 percent rate of the first two months of 2018. Imports rose 14.4 percent, but that was down from 21.7 percent in January and February.

The country's politically sensitive global trade balance swung to a rare deficit of $5 billion.