The value of Chinese exports was the largest in the world last year for the third year in a row, with a share of 10.6 percent of the world's total trade, according to the 2012 World Trade and Investment Report by the Japan External Trade Organization.

The growth rate of the value of Chinese exports - 20.3 percent in 2011 from the previous year - fell behind that of emerging economies, which was 23.3 percent year-on-year in 2011.

Emerging economies accounted for 15.9 percent of the world's total exports last year, compared to 6.5 percent in 2000.

Global trade volume growth slowed significantly in 2012. The first quarter of the year saw total trade in 22 major countries or regions up just 4.6 percent from a year earlier, the report said.