China's export growth is expected to slow down next year, according to a blue book released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), a major think tank of the government.

 

Affected by appreciation of the RMB and adjustment of tax rebate to exporters, the export growth may drop by 12 percentage points from 2006 to 14.9 percent in 2007, said the report.

 

The report estimated that the year-on-year import growth will be 22 percent, seven percentage points higher than growth of export.

 

China has seen an over 20 percent annual growth of export since 2002. The CASS predicted that this year's export growth will reach 26.7 percent and the trade surplus will exceed last year to hit record high.

 

China has seen the aggregate surplus to a new high of US$157 billion in the first 11 months, a year-on-year increase of US$66 billion, according to the latest Customs figures.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2006)