Textile exports in China had been severely affected by the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), with May becoming the first month that registered negative growth rate this year.
Textile and apparel exports in May dropped by 3.53 percent to US$6.05 billion compared with April, Friday's China Daily quoted the China Textile Industry Association as saying.
Sun Huaibin, a director from the industry group, said that May and June suffered the most from the SARS.
"The sliding in May exports is slim and I expect the slowdown in June to be more apparent," he said.
He said such a slowdown will be temporary as Chinese textiles are good in quality and competitive in prices.
For the whole of 2003, exports were officially forecast to rise three percent to US$62 billion, which was considered to be conservative.
(Xinhua News Agency July 12, 2003)
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