SHANGHAI is on track to achieve its target of 8 percent economic growth this year after September export, retail sales and investment figures released yesterday showed stableexpansion.

The city's gross domestic product increased 12.7 percent from a year earlier in the first half, after posting a 8.2 percent gain in 2009.

Its exports rose 22.1 percent from a year earlier to US$16.1 billion, compared with August's increase of 25.5 percent, the Shanghai Statistics Bureau said.

High-tech products led growth in exports, surging 31.5 percent to US$7.5 billion, while products assembled from foreign parts showed the slowest gain at 16 percent.

"Trade is on a gradual climb," said Li Maoyu, an analyst at the Changjiang Securities Co. "Exports have been quite stable in recent months, reflecting recovering demand overseas."

He added: "Shanghai's efforts to transform its manufacturing sector are also mirrored in more exports of high-tech and value-added products."

Last month, imports to the city advanced 22.4 percent year-on-year to US$16.9 billion, creating a trade deficit of US$868 million.

On the national front, China's exports grew 25.1 percent on an annual basis to US$144.9 billion, while imports increased 24.1 percent to US$128.1 billion, making a five-month low trade surplus of US$16.8 billion.

Other Shanghai data also pointed to steady expansion. September's retail sales jumped 18.2 percent from a year earlier to 51.8 billion yuan (US$7.7 billion), faster than the pace of 17.1 percent in August.

"Retail sales in Shanghai are tipped to grow faster in October, based on more consumption during the holiday and the last month rush of World Expo," said Wang Zehua, an analyst at the Shanghai Statistics Bureau.

During the National Day holiday that began on October 1, the city's 502 major retailers reported a 24.4 percent rise in sales, the biggest surge since the holiday was expanded to seven days in 1999.

In other data released yesterday, the bureau said foreign direct investment in the city rose 3.52 percent to US$944 million last month, slowing from 5.69 percent in August.

• achieve [ə´tʃi:v] vt.完成；达到；获得 (初中英语单词)
• export [ik´spɔ:t] vt.&n.输出，出口 (初中英语单词)
• investment [in´vestmənt] n.投资；(时间等)投入 (初中英语单词)
• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
• stable [´steibəl] n.马棚 a.稳固的 (初中英语单词)
• domestic [də´mestik] a.家庭的；本国的 (初中英语单词)
• bureau [´bjuərəu] n.局；编辑部；事务所 (初中英语单词)
• advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)
• annual [´ænjuəl] a.每年的 n.年刊 (初中英语单词)
• pointed [´pɔintid] a.尖(锐)的；中肯的 (初中英语单词)
• holiday [´hɔlidi] n.假日，假期，节日 (初中英语单词)
• expansion [ik´spænʃən] n.扩大；膨胀；发展 (高中英语单词)
• billion [´biljən] num.万亿 (高中英语单词)
• gradual [´grædʒuəl] a.逐渐的 (高中英语单词)
• transform [træns´fɔ:m] v.转化，转变；改造 (高中英语单词)
• surplus [´sə:pləs] n.&a.剩余(的) (高中英语单词)
• consumption [kən´sʌmpʃən] n.消耗；结核病 (高中英语单词)
• retail [´ri:teil, ri´teil] n.&a.&v.零售(商品的) (英语四级单词)
• statistics [stə´tistiks] n.统计学；统计 (英语四级单词)
• deficit [´defisit] n.缺乏，赤字，亏空 (英语六级单词)
• august [ɔ:´gʌst] a.尊严的；威严的 (英语六级单词)