BEIJING - China exports of rare earths in August were down 6.7% from a year earlier, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Wednesday.

Exports of the group of 17 minerals from the world's largest producer were 3,673.6 tonnes last month, down from 3,936.1 tonnes the previous August, the data showed. The figure was up 1% from July's exports of 3,637.10 tonnes.

For January to August, China shipped out 33,539.40 tonnes of the minerals, up 5.7% on the year.

(Reporting by Siyi Liu and Dominique Patton; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)