GUANGZHOU -- China is expected to export 1 billion mobile phones this year, driven by a surge in demand for smartphones worldwide, an industry association said Wednesday.

In terms of total units shipped, the shipments will represent an annual increase of nearly 15 percent, the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Eletronic Products said in a statement issued at the ongoing Canton Fair being held in South China's city of Guangzhou.

The export value will likely surge to $74 billion, the association said.

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China exported 618 million mobile phones in the first eight months of the year, up 15.5 percent year-on-year. The export value jumped at an annual rate of 27.7 percent to $46.7 billion, according to the General Administration of Customs.

World Bank statistics indicate that more than 6 billion people worldwide use mobile phones, with China and India each adding over 10 million subscribers monthly.

Global mobile phone shipments and sales both maintained stable growth in the first half, led by a surge of more than 40 percent in shipments, the association said.

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China, which accounts for nearly 80 percent of global mobile phone production, has benefited from the market boom but will continue to be affected by changes in the global market, it added.