China's foreign trade surges 9% in first nine months
BEIJING DESPITE the global economic slump, China's foreign trade volume in the first nine months of 2001 reached $376.37 billion, up 9 per cent in the same period last year, latest official figures said.
China's exports during January-September, 2001 reached $194.98 billion, up 7 per cent, while its imports grew 11.2 per cent to $181.39 billion.
According to statistics released by the general administration of Chinese customs, the trade surplus is $13.59 billion, which increased steadily in the past four months, as China's import volume is growing more slowly.
In September, China's trade volume totalled $45.84 billion, with $23.99 billion in exports and $21.85 billion in imports. The trade surplus last month was $2.14 billion.
GACC attributed much of China's export growth to the increase in machinery and electronic products in 2001. The export volume of machinery and electronic products added up to $85.63 billion in the first nine months, up 12.5 per cent from the same period last year.
In the first nine months, Chinese exports to the US totalled $40.31 billion, up 4.8 per cent. Exports to hong kong totalled $33.68 billion, up 2.9 per cent while exports to taiwan totalled $3.62 billion, down 2.4 per cent.
Japan remained China's largest trading partner in the period, with a total trade volume of $64.74 billion.
Encouraged by the national policy on export promotion, the export volume in September surged 4.4 per cent, pushing the growth rate up again. (PTI)
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