The outlook for China's foreign trade will remain grim in the near future as exporters' confidence fell in May, an industrial survey covering businesses in the Pearl River Delta region has suggested.

The survey, conducted by Shenzhen-based One Touch Business Services Co, a Chinese provider of foreign-trade services, said the foreign trade climate index fell below the threshold in May in the delta region, one of China's major industrial bases.

The index, which reflects Chinese exporters' anticipation of future operations, stood at 98.65 in May in the delta region, 1.35 points below the threshold and a 5.15-point decrease from a month earlier, the survey said.