China says trade likely to grow at double-digit rate this year if trend continues

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's foreign trade will likely to grow at a double-digit rate this year if current conditions continue, the customs bureau said on Friday as it began releasing September data. China's exports denominated in yuan rose 9.0 percent in September, while yuan-denominated imports jumped 19.5 percent. Trade improved in the first nine months of the year due to a better international environment and as stronger global demand boosted exports, a spokesman for the General Administration of Customs told a briefing. Higher commodity prices boosted import and export values, though high base effects led to a slowdown in year-on-year trade growth in the third quarter, customs said. (Reporting by Beijing Monitoring Desk; Editing by Kim Coghill)