TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China's foreign trade faces unprecedented challenges in the wake of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as many economies are only slowly recovering, the country's Ministry of Commerce said Wednesday (June 10).

Ministry official Zhang Li said his department would continue to take measures to help foreign trade companies hold on to their markets and orders, Liberty Times reported. Businesses should see their burden reduced and should also benefit from measures to make trade more convenient, Zhang said.

While the pandemic slows down and several countries are recovering and opening up for business, local demand for imports from China still needs some time to recover, making it difficult for the country to export at its previous scale, according to the minister.

China is in the midst of stimulating its domestic market and encouraging companies involved in foreign trade to reorganize and transform some of their practices, the report said.