(Yicai Global) July 13 -- China's foreign trade development is steady overall, a spokesperson for the General Administration of Customs of China said at a press briefing today when asked about the slowdown in the country’s overseas trade and drop in exports in the last two months.

In June, China’s exports plunged 12.4 percent in US dollar terms year on year and imports sank 6.8 percent, according to the latest data released by the General Administration of Customs today.

But in the six months ended June 30, China’s exports and imports climbed 2.1 percent from a year earlier to hit a new high of CNY20.1 trillion (USD2.8 trillion) for the period, said Lv Daliang, who is also head of GACC’s department of Statistics and Analysis. Exports climbed 3.7 percent to CNY11.4 trillion while imports dipped 0.1 percent to CNY8.4 trillion.

By volume, imports and exports tumbled year on year in the first quarter, but gained in the second quarter, by 5.9 percent and 2 percent respectively. Imports of energy products and exports of vehicles did particularly well, surging by double digits.

Slowing trade is a challenge facing many economies not just China. The World Trade Organization predicts global trade to climb by only 1.7 percent this year, much less than the average of 2.6 percent in the last 12 years. Compared to neighboring economies, China still shows strong resilience in trade.

Chinese exports gained a slightly bigger share of the world’s market in the first four months, Lv said, citing WTO data. This shows that the country’s overseas trade remains competitive.

"China is facing pressure and challenges, but we are confident that the country will keep its position as the biggest foreign trader in the world," he added.

Editors: Shi Yi, Kim Taylor