China's foreign trade remains under heavy downward pressure due to increasing uncertainties, despite improved export and import data in August, an official has said.
The difficulties are not short-term problems, with uncertain and unstable factors increasing, Shen Danyang, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, said.
Foreign trade improved markedly in August, customs data showed in September, with exports and imports rising 5.9 percent and 10.8 percent respectively, the first time since November 2014 that the figures have both risen on a monthly basis.
However, in the first eight months, foreign trade was down 1.8 percent from a year earlier, with exports dropping 1 percent and imports falling 2.9 percent, official customs data showed.
Citing the figures, Shen said it is no time for complacency and the situations is still complicated and daunting.
Increasing trade frictions concerning Chinese exports are partly to blame. From January to August, 20 countries or regions launched 85 trade remedy probes against Chinese products, up 49 percent and worth 10.3 billion U.S. dollars, almost doubled the amount for the same period last year, Shen said.
In those eight months, the United States launched 15 trade probes under the Section 337 of the 1930 Tariff Act against Chinese products, he said.
Section 337 investigations focus on allegations of patent or registered trademark infringement, and also involve misappropriation of aspects such as trade secrets, false advertising and violation of antitrust laws.
