China's foreign trade faces grim times in the coming months, Commerce Minister Chen Deming said yesterday even as the government tries to take steps to boost trade.

In January, China's exports saw a year-on-year decrease of 17.5 percent while imports declined 43.2 percent, according to customs statistics.

"Affected by the global economic crisis, China has seen a decline in both imports and exports since November," Chen said at a press conference during the annual session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.