MarketWatch: “New data this week showed China continued its ascent into economic superpower status, rising above Germany as the world’s top exporter and overtaking the U.S. in domestic auto sales, according to reports. China exported $957 billion worth of goods in the first 10 months of 2009 compared with $917 billion by Germany, according a report Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal, which cited data compiled by the Geneva-based Global Trade Information Services. China’s blaze to the top of the rankings can be traced to the global financial crisis, which cut more deeply into higher-value shipments that are a hallmark of Germany’s economy, the report said. China also benefited by locking its currency to the sinking U.S. dollar, helping its exports to remain competitive on price, and by serving as a producer of many low-cost, recession-proof, it said.”