China's yuan-denominated exports to Russia swung back to growth in May from a year earlier following two months of declines, customs data showed on Friday.

In yuan terms, China's exports to Russia grew 0.92% last month year-on-year, compared with a 11% drop in April and a 13% decline in March, customs data showed.

The Biden administration has stepped up messaging about China's support for Russia and issued an executive order in December that threatened sanctions on financial institutions helping Moscow skirt Western sanctions.

China's imports from Russia, however, dropped 2.2% last month, the first decline since July last year. Imports in April grew 23%.

Two-way trade between the two countries hit 685.25 billion yuan ($94.6 billion) in January-May, up 6.1% from the same period a year earlier.

In dollar terms, China's outbound shipments to Russia fell 2% in May while imports down 5.1%.

($1 = 7.2445 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Stephen Coates)