Beijing, 8 May (Reporter Du Haitao) According to customs statistics, the total import and export value of China’s goods trade in the first four months of this year was 9.51 trillion yuan, an increase of 4.3% over the same period last year. Among them, exports were 5.06 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.7%; Imports were 4.45 trillion yuan, up 2.9%; The trade surplus was 618.17 billion yuan, an increase of 31.8%. In April, China’s total import and export value was 2.51 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.5%. Among them, exports were 1.3 trillion yuan, an increase of 3.1%; Imports reached 1.21 trillion yuan, up by 10.3%; The trade surplus was 93.57 billion yuan, narrowing by 43.8%.
Figures released by the General Administration of Customs show that in the first four months, China’s foreign trade import and export mainly showed the following characteristics:
New progress has been made in improving the quality and efficiency of foreign trade. In the first four months, China’s general trade import and export was 5.68 trillion yuan, up 6.6%, accounting for 59.8% of China’s total foreign trade value, up 1.3 percentage points over the same period of last year, and the endogenous power of foreign trade development was further enhanced. The import and export of private enterprises was 3.9 trillion yuan, up 11%, accounting for 41% of China’s total foreign trade, up 2.5 percentage points over the same period last year. Private enterprises have become the main driving force for China’s import and export growth, and the motivation for enterprises to participate in foreign trade development has become stronger.
Diversification of trading partners was actively promoted. In the first four months, China’s imports and exports to major markets such as the European Union, ASEAN and Japan all increased, and the growth rate of imports and exports to countries along the Belt and Road was higher than the whole. Among them, China’s total import and export to countries along the "Belt and Road" was 2.73 trillion yuan, up 9.1%, 4.8 percentage points higher than the national overall growth rate, accounting for 28.7% of China’s total foreign trade, and the proportion increased by 1.3 percentage points.
The structure of import and export commodities was further optimized. In the first four months, China’s mechanical and electrical products exported 2.97 trillion yuan, up 4.5%, accounting for 58.6% of the total export value. Among them, the export of electrical and electronic products was 1.33 trillion yuan, an increase of 4.9%; Mechanical equipment was 890.56 billion yuan, an increase of 3.9%. Imports of crude oil, natural gas and other commodities increased, soybean imports decreased, and the average import price of bulk commodities rose and fell.
Li Kuiwen, spokesman of the General Administration of Customs and director of the Statistics and Analysis Department, said that China’s foreign trade import and export remained generally stable in the first four months of this year, and the "stability" of the domestic economy was an important support for the "stability" of foreign trade. According to the main economic data, the purchasing managers’ index (PMI) of China’s manufacturing industry was 50.1% in April, which remained in the expansion range. Judging from the sub-indices, the growth rate of market supply and demand has dropped slightly, but it is still at a relatively good level, and external demand tends to improve. Since last year, the effects of a series of policies to stabilize foreign trade and foreign investment have been further released, and a good development environment for foreign trade has continued to be created.
Since the beginning of this year, some international organizations have lowered the growth rate of global economy and international trade, and the exports of major economies around China have even declined for several months. In this context, the steady growth of China’s foreign trade in the first four months will help boost world economic confidence and stabilize global trade.
Statistics show that in the first four months, the EU was China’s largest trading partner, with a total trade value of 1.5 trillion yuan, an increase of 11.8%, accounting for 15.7% of China’s total foreign trade. ASEAN is China’s second largest trading partner, with a total trade value of 1.28 trillion yuan, up 9%, accounting for 13.4% of China’s total foreign trade.