Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (c) chairs the eighth prime ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009. Photo: Xinhua

China on Wednesday signalled an acceleration in its economic recovery with data showing that the fall in exports and imports slows sharply in September. However, as importers were told that there would be no shipments in the first two weeks of October because of the National Day holidays, that factor may have also had an impact.

The September trade figures were also boosted by a larger number of working days compared with the same month last year.

The General Administration of Customs announced in Beijing that exports had fallen by 15.2 per cent in September compared to the same month last year, against a 23.4 per cent decline in August.

The total value of imports and exports for September was US$218.94 billion, down 10.1 per cent from the same month last year, but an increase of 14.2 per cent from August.

Imports amounted to $103.01 billion down by 3.5% from September last year and up 17% from August.

Exports in September while falling 15.2 per cent from the same month last year to $115.93 billion, they were up 11.8 per cent from August.

For the first three quarters, China's foreign trade was down by 20.9 per cent from the same period last year to $1.56 trillion.

Exports dropped by 21.3 per cent from the same period last year to $846.65 billion. Imports were $711.17 billion, representing a decrease of 20.4 per cent from the same period last year.

The total trade surplus was $135.48 billion from January to September, a decrease of 26 per cent from the same period last year.

In the first three quarters, the European Union remained China's leading trade partner, with a total trade volume of $260.05 billion, a fall of 19.4 per cent over the same period last year.

The trade volume between China and the United States, China's second largest trade partner, dropped 15.8 per cent from a year earlier to $211.88 billion.