Unexpectedly, exports in September declined 0.3 percent year-on-year from the 7.2 percent gain in August mainly owing to holiday distortion, the high base figure of last year as well as weakened demand in emerging markets, experts said.

Commerce Ministry spokesman Shen Danyang said on Oct 17 that the country could achieve its trade growth and transformation targets with "hard work" because exports will edge up in the coming two to three months while imports will significantly grow amid the recent pickup in China's economy.

Tough outlook

Chen Hufei, a researcher at Bank of Communications Ltd, said that an 8.9 percent or above export growth in the fourth quarter is needed to secure the whole year's 8 percent overall trade growth target, while high trade value in the fourth quarter of last year increased the challenge.

"China's yuan is expected to further appreciate in the near future and is likely to outpace export growth," Chen said.

The Chinese currency has experienced several rounds of appreciation this year after the United States Federal Reserve's bond purchases pushed down the value of the dollar and led investors to spend capital in emerging markets, such as China, for higher returns. A stronger yuan hurts China's exports because it makes Chinese products more expensive abroad in dollar terms.

"What we should really worry about is the risk that speculative funds - hot money - is clearly flowing into China through trade accounts, which will inflate trade figures, as it did earlier this year," Chen said.

Wang Jianjun, a manager of Shandong Machinery I/E Group Co Ltd, said during the 114th session of Canton Fair, China's export barometer, that overseas orders of large value or lasting more than six months have "become much fewer now".

"All the orders now are smaller and for shorter terms because exchange rates and raw prices are fluctuating and dealers are choosing to breach contracts to avoid risks when the fluctuations are too big," Wang said.