China: Getting Harder To Keep Export Growth To Emerging Mkts

Published: 18 Nov 2008 20:57:37 PST

BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Commerce said Wednesday it is "hard to be optimistic" about exports to advanced economies and getting harder to maintain export growth to emerging markets for the rest of this year.

On its Web site, the ministry said potentially big fluctuations in global commodity prices, growing risks of protectionism, and slowing world growth could further hurt the country's trade next year.

On the Doha Round of trade talks, which faltered in late July because of disagreements between China, India and the U.S., the ministry said the financial crisis has made the outlook "gloomier."

It forecast China's total trade this year will grow around 20% to US$2.6 trillion.

-By Terence Poon; Dow Jones Newswires; 8610 6588 5848; terence.poon@dowjones.com