Foreign trade faces challenges in 2013

%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EChina%27s%20foreign%20trade%20still%20faces%20%22challenging%20prospects%22%20in%202013%2C%20despite%20January%27s%20significant%20pickup%20in%20growth%2C%20the%20Ministry%20of%20Commerce%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22The%20January%20figure%20suggests%20that%20China%27s%20foreign%20trade%20maintained%20the%20stable%20growth%20momentum%20from%20the%20end%20of%20last%20year%2C%20and%20measures%20to%20stabilize%20foreign%20trade%20are%20working%20well%2C%22%20Commerce%20Ministry%20spokesman%20Shen%20Danyang%20told%20a%20news%20briefing%20on%20Wednesday.%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22But%20trade%20growth%20in%20January%20is%20normal%20and%20within%20expectations%20if%20the%20impact%20of%20Spring%20Festival%20falling%20in%20January%20last%20year%20is%20taken%20out%20of%20the%20equation.%22%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThis%20January%20had%2022%20working%20days%2C%20five%20more%20than%20in%202012%20when%20the%20seven-day%20Spring%20Festival%20holiday%20fell%20in%20the%20first%20month%20of%20the%20year.%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22Trade%20prospects%20for%20the%20whole%20year%20remain%20challenging%20as%20demand%20in%20overseas%20markets%20has%20seen%20no%20significant%20improvement%2C%22%20Shen%20added.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EForeign%20trade%20in%20the%20world%27s%20second-largest%20economy%20rose%2026.7%20percent%20year-on-year%20in%20January%20to%202.17%20trillion%20yuan%20%28%24345.59%20billion%29%2C%20with%20exports%20rising%2025%20percent%20and%20imports%20growing%2028.8%20percent%2C%20according%20to%20the%20General%20Administration%20of%20Customs.%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EAfter%20adjustments%20due%20to%20seasonal%20factors%2C%20foreign%20trade%20in%20January%20eased%20from%20December%27s%2010.2%20percent%20and%20increased%208.1%20percent%20year-on-year%2C%20with%20exports%20rising%2012.4%20percent%20and%20imports%20increasing%203.4%20percent.%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22Export%20growth%20in%20February%20will%20not%20be%20as%20high%20as%20the%2029.6%20percent%20year-on-year%20rise%20witnessed%20in%20the%20same%20period%20last%20year.%20The%20January%20and%20February%20figures%20should%20be%20read%20together%20to%20get%20a%20full%20picture%2C%22%20Shen%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3ELi%20Jian%2C%20a%20researcher%20from%20the%20Chinese%20Academy%20of%20International%20Trade%20and%20Economic%20Cooperation%2C%20a%20think%20tank%20of%20the%20Ministry%20of%20Commerce%2C%20said%20real%20trade%20growth%20in%20January%20was%20at%20%22a%20slow%20pace%22%20and%20the%20prospects%20for%20the%20whole%20year%27s%20foreign%20trade%20are%20%22still%20not%20optimistic%22.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22The%20world%20economy%20is%20slowly%20recovering%20at%20a%20low%20growth%20rate%20with%20the%20economies%20of%20the%20European%20Union%20and%20Japan%20struggling%2C%20which%20weakened%20demand%20for%20Chinese%20exports.%20In%20addition%2C%20domestic%20costs%20keep%20rising%20amid%20a%20shrinking%20labor%20force%2C%22%20Li%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EHe%20added%20that%20China%27s%20foreign%20trade%20growth%20in%202013%20will%20%22still%20be%20single%20digit%22%20following%20the%206.2%20percent%20expansion%20in%202012.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22More%20unfavorable%20factors%20are%20the%20quantitative%20easing%20or%20currency%20depreciation%20moves%20in%20developed%20economies%2C%20which%20will%20force%20renminbi%20appreciation%2C%20while%20increasing%20Chinese%20exporters%27%20costs%20and%20curtailing%20their%20competitiveness%2C%22%20Li%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EShen%20from%20the%20ministry%20said%20that%20currency%20depreciation%20or%20quantitative%20easing%20measures%20not%20only%20dent%20China%27s%20foreign%20trade%2C%20but%20also%20harm%20global%20commerce.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EZhuang%20Jian%2C%20a%20senior%20economist%20with%20the%20Asian%20Development%20Bank%2C%20called%20for%20more%20value-added%20exports%20and%20a%20diversification%20of%20export%20destinations.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22We%20have%20to%20significantly%20enhance%20the%20competitiveness%20of%20Chinese%20exports%20through%20technological%20innovation%20and%20increasing%20added%20value%20rather%20than%20relying%20on%20low%20costs.%20In%20addition%2C%20exports%20to%20Africa%2C%20Latin%20America%20and%20Asia%2C%20where%20Chinese%20products%20remain%20popular%2C%20can%20be%20expanded%2C%20while%20the%20EU%20and%20the%20US%20are%20not%20performing%20well%2C%22%20Zhuang%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EHe%20predict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