China's exports could grow by as much as 15 per cent this year, predicted the General Administration of Customs, despite continued concerns about the state of the world economy. At the start of the year, the government forecast export growth of 8-10 per cent.
An official told Xinhua that exports could reach US$30bn in September, a new monthly high. In the first eight months of 2002, exports rose 18 per cent year-on-year, according to official data. The news agency said that the competitiveness of China's lowpriced but high-quality goods continued to rise and that the US remained the country's biggest market, despite problems with its economy.