Foreign trade faces choppy waters, says commerce minister

China may face severe foreign trade situation next year, and for the second half of the year, the nation's macro policies will focus on cross-cycle adjustments to stabilize foreign trade performance, according to Wang Wentao, the commerce minister.

China's foreign trade rose by 24.5 percent year-on-year in the January-July period, and the rapid growth momentum was driven by a series of factors, among which many are temporary and cannot last long, such as new orders due to intensified COVID-19 epidemics in nearby economies, and increased exports of anti-COVID-19 goods, Wang said at a media conference on Monday in Beijing.

As effects of those temporary factors fade away, the growth of foreign trade is slowing down in the second half of the year, and for next year, the situation may be severe, he said, adding the high comparison base has also mitigated the fast growth rate of foreign trade.

China will strengthen cross-cycle adjustments of macro policies, to prevent severe economic fluctuations that are dangerous to economic growth and market entities, according to him.

During the second half of the year, the cross-cycle adjustments will mainly target at securing foreign trade enterprises and stabilizing orders, promoting innovation, enhancing operations of industrial and supply chains, and deepening international cooperation, he said.