Tough times ahead for importers

Imports plunged 17.7 percent year-on-year to 924 billion yuan ($145.21 billion) in September, posting an 11th straight decline.

"The fourth quarter is expected to be stronger than the third as a better policy environment will help facilitate the steady growth in foreign trade," Huang Songping, the General Administration of Customs spokesman, said on Tuesday.

China's imports dropped by 15.1 percent to 7.63 trillion yuan during the first three quarters of 2015 compared with the numbers a year back, according to the administration.