Vice-Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan has called for more efforts to help the nation's exporters develop a sharper competitive edge during a meeting on Tuesday on preparations for the Canton Fair.

Zhong said that supportive measures will encourage brand building, quality improvement and technological innovation.

He added that transforming the development model will be a key task for China's foreign trade in 2013 amid sluggish world demand, increasing trade protectionism and rising costs at home.

The spring session of the Canton Fair, China's largest trade fair and a barometer of its exports, will start on April 15 in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.