The Ministry of Commerce predicated that the country’s textile export growth will slow down further in 2009. Statistics from the General Administration of Customs showed for the year 2008 China’s textile exports totaled 185.17 billion US dollars, up only 8.2 percent from a year earlier, and the growth was 10.7 percentage points lower than that of 2007.Analysts attributed the decline in exports growth to rising labor costs, appreciation of Chinese yuan and weakening demand from major markets. The Ministry said there will be no "big increase" in textile exports to the US and the EU markets although quota restrictions on exports to the two markets have been eliminated from the beginning of 2009, and it also added China’s exports are not going to pose any threats to exporters in other countries.