By Zhao Jinping & Zhao Fujun, Research Department of Foreign Economic Relations of DRC

The questionnaires collected from about 20 provinces and cities in China, are focused on enterprise export growth. The survey samples represent the general performance of the enterprises, and have effectively reflected China's export growth in the first half of the year. The survey results show that this year's export growth is weaker than last year. The export prices of surveyed enterprises continued to decline and most companies' export profit decreased. The number of export orders of surveyed enterprises had been reduced and the number of companies with mid-term or long-term orders had decreased. Currently, these companies mainly depended on long-term export orders from overseas clients. Therefore, a more severe export environment in 2015 is expected. About half of the surveyed companies made use of cross-border E-commerce to expand export. They used both domestic and overseas E-commerce platforms as well as their own internet platform for export trade. However, these enterprises were troubled with issues like overelaborate customs clearance procedures and difficult export rebates relating to cross-border E-commerce. The main factors curbing this year's export growth are increased labor costs, decreased global demand and RMB appreciation. The counter-measures like developing new products and cutting prices are used by companies to address current severe export situation. While long-term measures like increasing the R&D input on new products and developing self-owned brands with new advantages are especially favored by them. The surveyed companies suggest that the government take active measures to stabilize the exchange rate of RMB, issue preferential policies, enhance export rebates and improve policy measures concerning cross-border E-commerce.