Exporters to see better days as demand rises

China's foreign trade is likely to grow faster next year as overseas demand improves, experts said.

The consensus forecast is for total trade growth of up to 10 percent. In the worst-case scenario, total trade may only expand about 8 percent, equal to this year.

China is the world's largest exporter and second-largest importer.

Although the improvement of overall foreign trade will not be hugely significant next year, the growth pace will still outstrip the world average.

Wei Jianguo, vice-chairman of the China Center of International Economic Exchanges, a government think tank, said: "Foreign trade may expand 10 percent next year, if the government provides powerful support."

Huo Jianguo, president of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, a think tank of the Ministry of Commerce, said that "China's foreign trade in 2014 will be slightly better than this year, with overall trade growing 8 to 9 percent and exports continuing to outpace imports".

Long Guoqiang, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said that "overall trade will grow at the same pace as this year. It will be very satisfactory if exports could rise 8 percent next year".

A report from the State Information Center said on Dec 2 that China's overall trade in 2014 will grow at the same pace as this year, with exports expanding 9 percent and imports increasing 7.5 percent, yielding a full-year trade surplus of $310 billion.

Earlier this year, the government set an 8 percent trade growth target for 2013. The foreign trade of the world's second-largest economy expanded 6.2 percent year-on-year in 2012, missing the government's 10 percent target.