'Gloomy' trade prospects seen amid restructuring

But Zeng Dexiang, president of the company, said he remains optimistic, since his company has diversified its product portfolio with cloud-computing segments.

In Wenzhou, the country's trade hub in East China's Zhejiang province, clothing enterprises are facing mounting difficulties in exporting, with a year-on-year plunge of 18 percent last year, according to Chen Qixiang, secretary-general of the Wenzhou Chamber of Clothing Commerce.

This is partly because of the slower-than-expected recovery of European economies and the unstable situation in the Middle East, Chen said.

Dongyi Shoes Co, an export-oriented shoe manufacturer in Wenzhou, is also witnessing a sharp yearly decline of up to 10 percent in export volume, as well as fewer orders from abroad.

"We have no other option but to switch from traditional strong markets, such as Russia and US, to more emerging ones like the UK, Germany and even Brazil, for more partners and profits," said Chen Xi, general manager of Dongyi.

The shoemaker has benefited from the depreciation of the renminbi last month, but Chen contended it would be more preferable for the currency to stay stable. "Otherwise, it will be difficult for exporters to calculate and set the price range to avoid losses," said Chen.

Contact the writers through yangziman@chinadaily.com.cn