China overtook Germany as the world"s top exporter after December exports jumped 17.7 percent for their first increase in 14 months, data showed Sunday, in another sign of China"s rise as a global economic force, according to The Associated Press. Exports for the last month of 2009 were $130.7 billion, data from the General Administration of Customs showed. That raised total 2009 exports to $1.2 trillion, ahead of the 816 billion Euros ($1.17 trillion) for Germany forecast by its foreign trade organization, BGA. December"s rebound was an «important turning point» for exporters, a customs agency economist, Huang Guohua, said on state television, CCTV. «We can say that China"s export enterprises have completely emerged from their all-time low in exports,» Huang said. Boosted by a 4 trillion Yuan ($586 billion) stimulus, China"s economic expansion accelerated to 8.9 percent for the third quarter of 2009 and the government says full-year growth should be 8.3 percent.
