china

China's export slowdown will not significantly affect the country's economic growth next year, according to Pan Jiancheng, deputy director of the China Economic Monitoring Analysis Center at the National Bureau of Statistics.

"Among the three key drivers of China's economic growth - investment, consumption and exports - the first two are expected to remain strong next year," Jiancheng said. "The contribution of exports to the overall economic growth will drop significantly," says a report released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences last week.

Compared with the weakening demand in developed economies, developing countries may boast more growth potential.

But China does faces "severe challenges" to its exports due to economic difficulties in key Western markets, the country's commerce ministry has warned.

New data shows a sharp slowdown in export growth in November, the ministry said.

Sales to Europe and the US, which comprise about 40% of total exports, were not expected to recover next year.

"Foreign trade is facing a severe situation next year," Wang Shouwen, head of the foreign trade department of the ministry, said at a news conference in Beijing as the ministry released a white paper on China's foreign trade.

Exports in October increased 15.9 percent year-on-year, the slowest growth in eight months.

Chong Quan, deputy representative for China's international trade talks, said export growth in November slowed even more.

Zhang Liqun, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said export growth will slow to 15 percent next year from an estimated 18 percent this year.

Wang Shouwen with the Ministry of Commerce said the ministry will help exporters in terms of brand building, research and development, and sales networks.

Vice-Premier Wang Qishan said recently that the government plans to reduce taxes and provide more financial support to exporters.

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange will reform the management of foreign currencies involved in goods trade.

The reform includes measures such as building a real time platform so the agency can process the majority of companies' applications online. The process of applying for export tax rebates will also be simplified, it said.

China's trade surplus is expected to be $161 billion this year, with exports rising 20.4 percent and imports soaring 24.7 percent, according to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

In the official white paper, the Chinese government reiterated that it does not deliberately pursue a trade surplus and that China is moving toward balancing exports and imports.

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Christmas shoppers said waiting in for multiple deliveries and the frustration of chasing missing parts were some of the most annoying downsides to gift-hunting online as the number of people spending on the internet soared in the countdown to Christmas. Independent feedback forum Feefo's Top Ten:

1 Poor communication from suppliers when deliveries are late or even cancelled.
2 Not seeing the product before it arrives and it not living up to its description
3 Having to wait in for signed deliveries costing supplier and customers
4 Goods being damaged in the post
5 Complicated returns procedures
6 Missing parts - particularly from furniture but also toys and the difficulty tracking them down.
7 Multiple deliveries and not being able to organise all parcels for one drop-off slot
8 Accountability and being left with fake or goods below safety standards
9 Unhelpful delivery drivers
10 Having to provide too many details just to shop. Lengthy registration procedures.