Many online firms wary about economic outlook (2)

The robust growth of export business via e-commerce, however, sharply contrasts with China's overall export outlook.

The country's exports in October increased by 11.6 percent from a year earlier, the strongest growth since May, according to figures released earlier this month by the General Administration of Customs.

China has seen its exports decline since late last year, and it is only in the past few months that the figure has accelerated.

Wang Haifeng, director of international economics at the Institute for International Economic Research, which is affiliated with the National Development and Reform Commission, said that the low price of online products is one of the main reasons for online sellers' growth overseas, especially in emerging markets where the residents, who have lower incomes, are more sensitive to prices.

There are around 40 million SMEs in China, and only 5 million are export-focused, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. SMEs that use e-commerce websites to export remain a fraction of the total.

Despite the growth, the surveyed sellers cited intensifying global competition, high logistics expenses, and large retailers turning to online sales as their main concerns.

China has become one of the top five countries on eBay in terms of revenue, Lin said. The company generates its revenues from commission from its sellers.

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