The German Federal Bureau of Statistics predicted in December 2009 that German exports in 2009 would reach US$1,170 billion, while China would exceed US$1,200 billion. As the number one export country in the world, China may face more protectionism from other countries.
The greatest pressure may come from the U.S., which took a number of steps in 2009, claiming anti-dumping and anti-subsidy activities. Chinese economists believe that U.S. protectionism is “absurd” because the US-China trade deficit is the result of the U.S. refusal to sell China high-tech products. Another major pressure source is the EU, which also initiated a great number of anti-dumping investigations against China in 2009. In addition, a number of actions were taken by Argentina, India, Brazil and Mexico against China. It is believed that protectionism initiatives against China will continue to increase.
Source: Xinhua, January 12, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2010-01/12/content_12797144.htm