Export growth continues to slow down

BEIJING - A slowdown in the country's export growth could continue at least into the first quarter of next year with a "more severe" outlook, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

But the government has confidence in keeping stable growth in foreign trade, said ministry spokesman Shen Danyang at a monthly news briefing.

With demand weakening from the European Union, China's largest trade partner, overseas sales have been on the decline. In November, the nation's exports increased by 13.8 percent from a year earlier, the smallest gain since 2009, according to the General Administration of Customs.