The rapid growth of Guangzhou's foreign trade is largely over and will be moderating, entering a critical period of transformation and upgrading, according to the 2013 Report on the Development of the Commerce and Trade Industries in Guangzhou, which was jointly released by the Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences, Guangzhou Economic and Trade Commission and Guangzhou Federation of Commerce. The report predicts that Guangzhou's foreign trade will grow by about 5% this year, slightly higher than last year and on a par with the growth level of global trade.

Recent developments in the domestic and global economies indicate that Guangzhou's foreign trade will improve this year. The city's foreign trade surged by 18.57% in December last year, and the upward trend was sustained in the first three months of this year.

Overall, Guangzhou's foreign trade is expected to grow by about 5% this year, on a par with the growth of global trade, with both imports and exports projected to rise by about 5%.