April 13 (Reuters) - China’s rare earth exports fell 12.9% in March from record high levels a year earlier, data from the General Administration of Customs showed on Tuesday. Exports from the world’s top producer of the minerals were 4,837 tonnes last month. That was down from the high of 5,551.4 tonnes in March 2020, when China cleared a coronavirus-related backlog of material awaiting shipment. The figure was up 58.8% from February’s 3,045 tonnes, and its highest monthly level since March 2020. First-quarter exports were up 7.8% on the year at 11,905 tonnes. (Reporting by Emily Chow and Tom Daly; Editing by William Mallard and Clarence Fernandez)