Negative export growth may be inevitable in southern Guangdong province in the coming year as global financial turmoil continues, an expert said.

"The global financial crisis will make consumers more reluctant to spend money and the overseas market demand will dwindle accordingly," said Ding Li, a researcher with Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences.

"The unfavorable impact on Guangdong's export business cannot be neglected as the province makes up about one third of the nation's exports."

Yet he noted the nation's latest stimulus policies including increased tariff rebates may help the province's exports next year.

He said exporting enterprises should prepare for the negative impact and adjust through diversifying to emerging markets, while make great efforts in the domestic market.

Provincial statistics released recently indicate that Guangdong realized total imports and exports worth $60.71 billion in October, a rise of 7.1 percent over the comparable period in the preceding year.

The growth rate was 5.1 percentage points lower than in September.

The province's exports in October were worth $36.8 billion, rising 9.2 percent from a year ago and accounting for 28.7 percent of the nation's total.

Exports in the January-October period totaled $337.8 billion, increasing 13 percent from the same period in 2007 and making up 28.1 percent of the nation's total in the 10 months.

Editor: Yan