TAIPEI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan's July exports dropped 0.5 percent year on year to 28.2 billion U.S. dollars, according to trade data released Wednesday by the island's financial authorities.

Imports in July dropped 5.4 percent from a year ago to 24.64 billion dollars, resulting in a trade surplus of 3.56 billion dollars, according to Taiwan's trade data.

For the first seven months, exports dropped by 3 percent from a year earlier to 186.43 billion dollars, while imports stood at 162.92 billion dollars, resulting in a trade surplus of 23.51 billion dollars.

The Chinese mainland remained the biggest trade partner of Taiwan in the first seven months, receiving 49.87 billion dollars of the island's exports, or 26.8 percent of the total, according to the data.

During Jan.-June period, Taiwan exported 30.88 billion dollars worth of goods to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, 26.12 billion dollars to the United States, 17.51 billion dollars to Europe and 13.33 billion dollars to Japan.