The rising value of the yuan has made it difficult for exporters in the Pearl River Delta region to make money, even though they saw an increase in orders in April, an industrial survey said on Tuesday.

"Exports from the delta region increased a lot last month, but exporters have found it hard to make profits given the yuan's appreciation," said Xiao Feng, deputy general manager of One Touch Business Services Co, a Chinese provider of foreign-trade services.

Exports of 2,000 companies included in the Shenzhen-based company's survey, released on Tuesday, rose 47.3 percent in April year-on-year, and an increase of 8.5 percent over March, Xiao said.