State Council Information Office Press Conference | Import and Export Growth of 5.3% in the First Three Quarters
On the afternoon of October 14th, the State Council Information Office held a press conference. Wang Lingjun, Deputy Director General of the General Administration of Customs, and Lv Daliang, spokesperson and Director of the Statistics and Analysis Department of the General Administration of Customs, introduced the import and export situation in the first three quarters of 2024 and answered questions from reporters.
Wang Lingjun, Deputy Director General of the General Administration of Customs:
Good afternoon, journalists! Welcome everyone to this afternoon's press conference. Firstly, I will report the import and export situation of the first three quarters to everyone, and then my colleague Comrade Lv Daliang and I will answer any questions of interest to everyone.
Since the beginning of this year, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core, China's economic operation has been generally stable and steady, the formation of new quality productive forces has been accelerated, high-quality development has been further promoted, the import and export of goods has increased steadily, and the structure of foreign trade has been continuously optimized. It can be said that the quantity increases quality. According to customs statistics, in the first three quarters, my country's imports and exports were 32.33 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.3 percent year-on-year, of which exports were 18.62 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.2 percent; imports were 13.71 trillion yuan, an increase of 4.1 percent. Mainly presents the characteristics of these aspects:
Firstly, the total import and export value has reached a new high, exceeding 10 trillion yuan in each quarter. In the first three quarters of history, it exceeded 32 trillion yuan for the first time in the same period. The import and export volume in each quarter was 10.15 trillion yuan, 11 trillion yuan, and 11.17 trillion yuan, which can be said to have exceeded 10 trillion yuan in each quarter and 32 trillion yuan in the third quarter. This is the first time in the same period of history.
Secondly, various business entities remain active, and private enterprises achieve rapid growth. In the first three quarters, the import and export of private enterprises in China reached 1.778 trillion yuan, an increase of 9.4%, accounting for 55% of the total foreign trade value, an increase of 2.1 percentage points; The import and export of foreign-invested enterprises reached 9.53 trillion yuan, an increase of 1.1%, with growth for two consecutive quarters; The import and export of state-owned enterprises reached 4.95 trillion yuan, an increase of 0.1%.
Thirdly, market diversification is steadily advancing, with trade growth achieved with over 160 countries and regions worldwide. Import and export to countries jointly building the "the Belt and Road" totaled 15.21 trillion yuan, up 6.3%, accounting for 47.1%; Imports and exports to other RCEP member countries amounted to 9.63 trillion yuan, an increase of 4.5%, of which imports and exports to ASEAN amounted to 5.09 trillion yuan, an increase of 9.4%. During the same period, imports and exports to the European Union and the United States amounted to 4.18 trillion yuan and 3.59 trillion yuan, respectively, with growth rates of 0.9% and 4.2%.
The fourth is the optimization of export product structure, with high-end equipment exports growing by over 40%. In the first three quarters, China's exports of mechanical and electrical products reached 11.03 trillion yuan, an increase of 8%, accounting for 59.3% of the total export value. Among them, the export of high-end equipment increased by 43.4%, while the export of integrated circuits, automobiles, and household appliances increased by 22%, 22.5%, and 15.5% respectively. In addition, the export of traditional labor-intensive products reached 3.13 trillion yuan, an increase of 2.8%.
The fifth is that imported products are diverse and abundant, and the import volume of bulk commodities has steadily increased. In the first three quarters, the import volume of bulk commodities in China increased by 5%. Among them, energy products such as crude oil, natural gas, and coal reached 901 million tons, an increase of 4.8%; Iron, aluminum and other metal ores amounted to 1.138 billion tons, an increase of 4.9%. During the same period, the import value of integrated circuits and automotive spare parts increased by 13.5% and 4.6% respectively. The import of consumer goods has exceeded 1.3 trillion yuan.
Overall, China's foreign trade remained stable in the first three quarters, with both exports and imports experiencing growth. The current internal and external environment is more complex, and China's foreign trade development is facing some challenges. Mainly due to intensified global trade protection, weak growth momentum in major markets, heavy debt burden, and increasing uncertainty and instability factors. But at the same time, it should be noted that the fundamentals of China's economy and the favorable conditions of broad market, strong resilience, and great potential have not changed. The stock policy and incremental policy continue to exert force, and the positive factors for the development of foreign trade have accumulated and increased. The stable growth of imports and exports in the fourth quarter has a foundation and support.
The Customs will adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, focus on the relevant decisions and deployments of the Third Plenary Session of the Twenty Central Committee of the Party, and take the construction of smart customs and the "smart customs power" action as the overall starting point to further comprehensively deepen customs reforms. Continuously innovate the regulatory service system, continue to optimize the port business environment, and promote cross-border trade facilitation. In view of the new situation and new problems existing in the current foreign trade operation, we will, in accordance with the decision-making and deployment of the Political Bureau meeting of the Central Committee on September 26, adhere to the problem orientation, grasp the key points and take the initiative, effectively implement the stock policy, launch the incremental policy, further improve the pertinence and effectiveness of policy measures, continue to promote the "quality and quantity stability" of foreign trade, and contribute to the completion of the annual economic and social development goals and tasks. Thank you!
(The following is a record of answering questions from reporters)
CCTV reporter:
The latest customs statistics just released show that China's imports and exports maintained stable growth in the first three quarters of this year. May I ask, what are the main factors driving growth? In addition, what will be the trend of China's foreign trade in the fourth quarter? Please provide an analysis and interpretation for everyone. Thank you.
Wang Lingjun:
Thank you for your question. Since the beginning of this year, the stable growth of China's imports and exports depends on both supply and demand.
Let's start with the demand aspect. From an international perspective, the latest World Trade Organization report has raised its forecast for the growth rate of goods trade volume for the whole year. Institutions such as the World Bank and the OECD believe that the global economy is stabilizing, and the recovery of external demand has created favorable conditions for China's exports. In the first three quarters, China's exports to traditional markets such as Europe, America, and Japan increased by 4.2%, while exports to emerging markets such as ASEAN and Latin America increased by 12.3% and 13.7% respectively. From a domestic perspective, since the beginning of this year, China's industrial production has steadily grown, driving the import volume of coal, natural gas, and iron ore to increase by 11.9%, 13%, and 4.9% respectively in the first three quarters. With the cyclical rise of the consumer electronics industry, imports of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, integrated circuits, flat panel display modules, and other products have achieved double-digit growth. The consumer market continues to maintain a steady growth trend, with imports of specialty fruits, wine, clothing and other consumer goods increasing by 7.1%, 28.9%, and 6.1% respectively, effectively meeting the diverse consumer demands in China.
From the supply side. Currently, China is accelerating the development of new quality productivity, and the trend towards high-end, intelligent, and green manufacturing is very obvious. Innovation has made Chinese manufacturing more widely favored. From a high-end perspective, Chinese manufacturing has demonstrated strong capabilities. For example, recently we exported the world's largest production, storage, and unloading oil platform, with a unit price exceeding 10 billion yuan. Calculated by displacement, it is equivalent to the displacement of five aircraft carriers, representing the highest level of global marine equipment. From the perspective of intelligence, a large number of smart home appliances such as intelligent sweeping robots that integrate sweeping, washing, and mopping, and fully automatic coffee machines that can self adjust more than ten flavors are widely welcomed by overseas customers. In the first three quarters, the export of household appliances increased by 15.5%. From the perspective of greenization, China's new energy industry has effectively aligned with the global trend of green development, with exports of wind turbines and electric vehicles increasing by 73.9% and 22% respectively.
Regarding the next trend. There are still the last three months of this year, and the current external environment is becoming more complex and severe. The latest report from the International Monetary Fund shows that the global economic growth rate is lower than the average level of the first 20 years at the beginning of this century. The sustained growth momentum of major economies is insufficient, and in September, the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank both lowered their respective economic growth expectations for this year by 0.1 percentage points. In addition, some countries frequently impose trade restrictions on our products, and major economic indicators such as domestic industry, investment, and consumption have also experienced some fluctuations recently, which has brought certain pressure to the development of foreign trade. But the fundamentals of China's economic development have not changed, and favorable conditions such as large market potential and strong economic resilience have not changed. Moreover, I believe everyone has also noticed that various departments and regions are stepping up the comprehensive implementation of the decisions and deployments of the Central Political Bureau meeting, actively introducing a package of incremental policies, and supporting the healthy development of the real economy and business entities. With the coordinated efforts of policies, China's economy will continue to stabilize, improve, and thrive. We have the conditions and confidence to achieve the goal of stable quality and quantity of foreign trade for the whole year. Thank you!
Southern Finance 21st Century Business Herald reporter:
At present, the international market demand is weakening. May I ask if it has any impact on China's exports? Also, may I ask how the export performance was in September? What are the expectations of the General Administration of Customs for the export trend in the fourth quarter? Thank you.
Spokesperson of the General Administration of Customs and Director of the Statistics and Analysis Department, Lv Daliang:
Good afternoon, journalist friends! First of all, thank you for the journalist's question. I would like to first report the export situation for September.
In September, China's exports reached 2.17 trillion yuan, an increase of 1.6%. The growth rate has indeed slowed down, and preliminary analysis shows that it is mainly affected by some short-term sporadic factors. Firstly, it is related to the extreme weather in September. Two typhoons made landfall in the Yangtze River Delta region in September, and historical data also shows that the impact of typhoons on exports lasts for a relatively long time. After the typhoon, the scheduling of fleets is often delayed, and exports lag behind. Secondly, recently due to global shipping disruptions, container shortages, and expectations of contract expiration negotiations for workers at US East Coast ports, the shipping and logistics pace of enterprises has been adjusted. Data also shows that the peak export season for some products in previous years was in the third quarter, which has been advanced by more than a month this year. In addition, the export scale base in September last year was relatively high, the second highest of the year, second only to December. The high base also constrained the year-on-year growth rate in September this year. Overall, the slowdown in export growth in September is a normal short-term data fluctuation.
Overall, in the first three quarters, exports maintained growth for the sixth consecutive month in September. The cumulative export scale in the first three quarters reached a new historical high of 18.62 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 6.2%. This growth rate is 0.5 percentage points higher than the average growth rate of the same period in the past 10 years. According to preliminary calculations based on the latest data released by various economies, China's overall export market share has been steadily increasing. The main export products, ranging from furniture and household appliances to ships and containers, have seen varying degrees of increase in their share of the global market. China's exports still have strong resilience.
At present, China is speeding up the construction of a modern industrial system and developing new quality productivity according to local conditions. The advantages of strong manufacturing foundation, complete industrial categories and large scale of industrial system are still strong, and its position in the global industrial chain supply chain pattern continues to be consolidated. Recently, our survey of more than 800 major export enterprises in China shows that 69% of the enterprises reflect that exports were flat or increased in the fourth quarter. On the whole, we are still confident about exports in the fourth quarter. Thank you!
Daily economic news reporter:
Since the beginning of this year, the BRICS cooperation mechanism has been expanded for the first time, and the number of BRICS member countries has increased to 10. Can you tell us about the import and export situation between China and our BRICS partners and what are the main achievements of the cooperation mechanism? Thank you.
Wang Lingjun:
Thank you for your question. The BRICS cooperation mechanism is an important platform for emerging market countries and developing countries to strengthen solidarity and cooperation and safeguard common interests. On January 1 this year, five "new partners" joined the BRICS family. After the expansion, the BRICS countries accounted for more than one-fifth of global trade, and their international influence was further expanded. In the first three quarters, China's import and export to other BRICS countries increased by 5.1 to 4.62 trillion billion yuan. Under the guidance of the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness, cooperation and win-win results, the BRICS family has continuously achieved new results in trade exchanges.
In the industrial field, China and other BRICS countries have given full play to their comparative advantages in intermediate products and achieved complementarity in basic industries such as steel, chemicals, and textiles. In the first three quarters, my country's exports of intermediate products such as steel and textile raw materials to other BRICS countries increased by 8.6 and 13.4 respectively. From its imports of metal ore, methanol and other intermediate products increased by 14.4, 34.3. At the same time, China has helped the development of emerging industries in the BRICS countries by virtue of its perfect manufacturing system and technological advantages. In the first three quarters, my country's exports of intermediate products such as integrated circuits, flat panel display modules, and aircraft parts to other BRICS countries achieved double-digit growth.
In the field of agriculture, the advantageous agricultural products of our country and other BRICS countries meet each other's diversified needs. Over 80% of my country's imported poultry meat, frozen cod, and over 50% of crabs come from other BRICS countries. my country's exports of garlic, tomatoes, oranges and other fruits and vegetables are also widely welcomed by consumers in the BRICS countries. Export growth in the first three quarters All exceeded 20%. At the same time, China's agricultural machinery and agricultural products trade frequently with other BRICS countries. In the first three quarters, my country's exports of combine harvesters, pesticides, and herbicides to other BRICS countries increased by more than 20%, helping local agricultural production and development. my country's over 1/3 of imported potassium chloride fertilizers came from other BRICS countries. Domestic agricultural production has played a positive role.
In addition, bilateral trade has also built a platform and provided a carrier for cooperation and exchanges in other fields. In the first three quarters, we exported Chinese medicinal materials to other BRICS countries, and imported coffee and cocoa products from other BRICS countries increased rapidly, which promoted Multicultural exchanges.
This year is the first year after the expansion of the BRICS countries. The first summit after the expansion is about to kick off. In the future, with the expansion and deepening of the "big brick cooperation", the economic and trade cooperation between my country and the BRICS countries will also continue Go deep and solid. Thank you!
surging news reporter:
We can see from the data that China's import growth has slowed down in recent months, does this reflect weak domestic demand? In addition, what is the import situation in September? What is your expectation of the import trend for the whole year? Thank you.
Lv Daliang:
Thank you for this reporter's question. Just now Deputy Director Wang also announced that my country's imports in the first three quarters were 13.71 trillion yuan, an increase of 4.1 year-on-year, and the scale hit a record high for the same period. The monthly year-on-year growth rate has fluctuated this year, but from the quarterly trend, the scale of imports has increased quarter by quarter, and imports have achieved year-on-year growth in each quarter. At the same time, our country's import sources are diversified and stable, and imports from more than 140 countries and regions on 6 continents have achieved growth. Among them, imports from Europe and the United States increased by 1.2 and 2.7 respectively; imports from ASEAN, Latin America and Africa increased by 5.4, 5.3 and 10.3 respectively.
Regarding the import situation in September, if you look at the figures alone, the year-on-year growth rate in RMB terms has fallen due to the impact of import prices and exchange rate fluctuations. In terms of scale, since July, the scale of imports has expanded month by month, with September being the highest point of the year, up 2% from the previous month. In terms of volume, imports in September increased by 0.7 year-on-year, of which coal, natural gas, and integrated circuit imports increased by 13%, 19% and 17%, respectively. These are all in double digits, reflecting the continued recovery of domestic demand. In addition, imports rose slightly in September if denominated in dollars.
All along, China has unswervingly promoted a high level of opening up to the outside world and actively expanded imports. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China clearly stated that it is necessary to "expand independent opening up, expand the opening up of my country's commodity market, service market, capital market, and labor market in an orderly manner, and expand unilateral opening up to the least developed countries". At the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held on September 5 this year, President Xi Jinping announced that all the least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations with China will be given zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent of the tariff items, becoming the first large developing country to implement this initiative. And the world's major economies. In the first three quarters of this year, my country's imports from the least developed countries increased by 14%. With the implementation of the above measures, my country's imports from the least developed countries will continue to expand. Next month, the 7th CIIE will be held in Shanghai. The CIIE will get better and better. It not only fully reflects China's determination to expand opening up, but also allows more and more countries to share the dividends of China's big market. Thank you!
Bloomberg Reporter:
I have two questions today. The first problem is that some countries have imposed tariffs on the "new three samples". For example, Turkey increased tariffs on related products in June. What impact does China think the tariffs on the "new three" will have? The second question is, is China concerned that the growth in steel exports will exacerbate trade tensions?
Lv Daliang:
Thank you for this reporter's question. The two questions you raised, one related to the "new three samples" and the other related to steel. To answer your question about the "new three. First of all, I would like to inform you of the export situation of the "new three samples.
In the first three quarters, China exported 757.83 billion yuan of electric vehicles, lithium batteries and photovoltaic products, accounting for 4.1 of China's total export value. The export market of "new three samples" covers more than 200 countries and regions and is widely welcomed all over the world.
We believe that at present, the global new energy industry is still in a stage of rapid development. my country's export of green and low-carbon products such as the "new three samples" has not only enriched global supply, eased global inflationary pressures, but also contributed to the global response to climate change and green transformation. Great contribution. It is true that some countries have imposed tariffs on China's "new three" products. We believe that this is an unfair, non-compliant and unreasonable trade protectionist practice, which will eventually affect the global green and low-carbon transformation process. Some scholars in the United States also believe that imposing tariffs on China's green technology products is a "stupid mistake". It is hoped that relevant countries can abandon their wrong practices, seek their own reasonable interests in common development, open up new sources of power for global economic growth, and jointly respond to the global challenge of climate change.
On the issue of steel exports, I will also first report the relevant export data. In the first three quarters, China exported 441.94 billion yuan of steel, down 3% year on year. At the same time, I would like to explain another situation. Most of the steel produced in my country is used for domestic consumption and use, including deep processing, mainly to meet domestic market demand.
Here I would also like to share an idea. Although the iron and steel industry is a traditional industry, China's iron and steel industry is constantly innovating and upgrading under the situation of accelerating the development of new quality productivity in China. Two days ago, I went to a steel plant in Taiyuan to investigate. The thickness of the stainless steel foil they developed has reached 0.015mm, which is the 1/4 of A4 paper, which is the "hand-torn steel" hotly discussed on the Internet ". This kind of steel is widely used in precision processing and manufacturing industry, and enterprises reflect that the order is in good condition. There are more than one steel company like this in China; I believe that innovative steel products like this will have a broad market at home and abroad. Thank you!
China News Agency reporter:
In August, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee reviewed the "Several Policies and Measures to Further Promote the Development of the Western Region to Form a New Pattern". May I ask how the foreign trade import and export situation in my country's western region in the first three quarters? Thank you.
Lv Daliang:
Thank you for your question. Under the overall promotion of the national and regional coordinated development strategy, the western region insists on opening up to promote large-scale development, and the level of opening up to the outside world is constantly improving. In the first three quarters of this year, the import and export of the western region was 2.92 trillion billion yuan, an increase of 8.9 percent over the same period last year, showing many positive changes.
First of all, the growth rate of import and export ranks first in all regions. Since the CPC Central Committee made arrangements for promoting the large-scale development of the western region in the new era in 2020, the scale of foreign trade in the western region has increased significantly, with the annual import and export value exceeding 3 trillion yuan and moving towards 4 trillion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 8.5 percent. In the first three quarters of this year, the growth rate of foreign trade imports and exports in the western region was 3.6 percentage points higher than that of the whole country, accounting for 9% of the country's total import and export value.
Second, the foreign trade industry continued to upgrade. In the first three quarters, the western region exported 1.18 trillion billion yuan of mechanical and electrical products, an increase of 13.3 percent, a growth rate higher than the overall level of similar products in the country. Among them, the export of computers, their parts and components, and integrated circuits increased by 6.7 percent and 27.2 percent, respectively, accounting for 30 percent and 22.7 percent of the total value of the country's exports of similar products; the export of the "new three-sample" products just mentioned in the western region increased by 7.9 percent; and the export of special equipment-related products with relatively high technological content increased by 32.6 percent.
Third, the main business shows a strong vitality. In the first three quarters, 36000 foreign trade enterprises in the western region had actual import and export performance, an increase of 14.6 percent. Among them, private enterprises in particular performed prominently, with imports and exports of 1.61 trillion billion yuan, an increase of 12.8 percent, accounting for 55.4 percent of the total value of imports and exports in the western region during the same period. At the same time, the import and export of foreign-invested enterprises in the western region increased by 9%, which is also ahead of other regions.
Fourth, the construction of new channels to create foreign trade highways. The construction of the new land-sea corridor in the west has promoted the development and opening up of the areas along the route. In the first three quarters, the import and export of the western region through the new corridor was 513.79 billion billion yuan, an increase of 15%. This new channel spans mountains and seas. It is not only a convenient and fast logistics channel, but also a dynamic economic and trade corridor.
In August this year, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee deliberated the "several policies and measures for further promoting the development of the western region to form a new pattern", which pointed out the direction and put forward clear requirements for the next step of work. The Customs will conscientiously implement the relevant work arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, fully support the construction of new land and sea channels in the western region, further promote the development of characteristic and advantageous industries in the western region, and promote the construction of an open platform. we will continue to promote high-quality development and high-level opening up in the western region. Thank you!
Cover News Reporter:
In the past two years, the import and export of private enterprises in China has grown rapidly. From the first three quarters of this year, what are the characteristics and highlights of the import and export of private enterprises? How can the customs help private enterprises to participate in international competition? Thank you.
Wang Lingjun:
Thank you for your question. The Party Central Committee has always adhered to the "two unshakable" and "three unchanged", creating a good environment for the development of private enterprises and promoting the sustained and healthy development of the private economy. In the first three quarters, the import and export of China's private enterprises reached 17.78 trillion billion yuan, an increase of 9.4 percent, which was 4.1 percentage points higher than that of the whole country, and contributed 93.8 percent to the overall foreign trade growth. The flexible operation characteristics of private enterprises, as well as the development trend of gradually becoming bigger, better and stronger in the field of foreign trade, have continuously injected new vitality into the development of foreign trade. Here, I would like to talk about three impressions of private enterprises:
One is to dare to dare to fight. Private enterprises are the "charge team" to expand the market and grasp orders, and play an important role in promoting market diversification. In the first three quarters, the import and export of private enterprises to ASEAN, Africa and Latin America increased by 12 per cent, 6.4 per cent and 13.9 per cent respectively, and their share in China's trade with the above-mentioned regions increased to 62 per cent, 61.1 per cent and 54.2 per cent respectively.
Two is the courage to innovate. Since the beginning of this year, private enterprises have accelerated the renewal of equipment and continued to "empower" innovation ". In the first three quarters, private enterprises imported 203.82 billion yuan of various production equipment, an increase of 31 percent, accounting for 51.6 percent of China's imports of similar products; among them, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and high-end machine tools accounted for 67.9 percent and 43.7 percent of China's imports of similar products, respectively. The "gaining momentum" of innovation has also been continuously transformed into export momentum. In the first three quarters, the export of high-tech products of private enterprises increased by 14%, accounting for 52.7 percent of my country's high-tech product exports, an increase of 4.4 percentage points. Among them, the export of ship and marine engineering equipment, aerospace equipment, and electronic information products increased by 94 percent, 37.2 percent, and 17.5 percent, respectively.
Three is self-transcendence. In recent years, private enterprises have gradually from "production" to "production". In the first three quarters, the proportion of independent brands in solar cells, lithium batteries and textile machinery exported by private enterprises was as high as 83.4, 71.7 and 57.6 respectively. While focusing on brand building, private enterprises also focus on integrity building. In the first three quarters, the number of private enterprises that obtained advanced customs certification, namely AEO certification, reached 2411. With AEO, the world's common "golden business card", the foreign trade development of private enterprises will move towards a broader stage.
The Party Central Committee and the State Council have always insisted on creating a good environment and providing more opportunities for the development of the private economy. Last week, the draft law on the promotion of the private economy began to solicit opinions, and we are also closely following the changes in the situation, going deep into enterprises to send policies, listen to opinions, solve difficult problems, study reserves, and timely launch a new round of practical and effective policy measures. by improving regulatory efficiency and service level, we will help enterprises stabilize expectations, expand the market, and raise confidence. Thank you!
Poster News Reporter:
Just through your introduction, we learned that in the first three quarters, my country's foreign trade with the countries that jointly built the "Belt and Road" continued to maintain a good momentum. May I ask what are the highlights in the middle? What has the customs done to promote the contribution of the "Belt and Road" work? Thank you.
Lv Daliang:
Thank you for this reporter's question. With the solid progress of the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road", China and the co-construction countries share opportunities and develop together. A series of landmark projects and "small and beautiful" people's livelihood projects have helped the development of relevant countries and brought local people's lives. Bring convenience. In the first three quarters, my country's import and export with the countries that jointly built the "Belt and Road" was 15.21 trillion billion yuan, an increase of 6.3 year-on-year, and the growth rate was higher than the overall. Among them, exports of 8.49 trillion yuan, an increase of 7.1; imports of 6.72 trillion yuan, an increase of 5.3.
From the perspective of export products, in the first three quarters, my country's exports of small generators to the "Belt and Road" Latin American region increased by 16.6, exports of wind turbines to Africa increased by 1.3 times, and road construction machinery such as bulldozers and road rollers increased by 44.8. These have promoted the improvement of the national infrastructure. For the joint construction of the "Belt and Road", the export of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging devices in Southeast Asia increased by 44%, and the export of vaccines to Africa increased by 30%. All these will help the joint construction of countries to improve public health. Exports of passenger cars and motorcycles to the "Belt and Road" Eastern European region increased by 34.6 and 37.9 respectively, facilitating the travel of local people and meeting the needs of improving the quality of life.
From the perspective of imported products, in the first three quarters, my country's imports of central processing components from the "Belt and Road" Southeast Asia region increased by more than 80%, and imports of auto parts from Eastern Europe increased by 48.2. Bilateral industrial chain cooperation was further strengthened. At the same time, the country's characteristic agricultural food products have accelerated their entry into the Chinese market. my country's imports of dried and fresh fruits and nuts such as kiwifruit, apples and nuts from the Oceania region of the "Belt and Road" have increased by 28.4, and imports of soybeans, Barley, sorghum and other grains have increased by 32.5. These have not only benefited producers in various countries, but also enriched domestic supply.
Since the beginning of this year, the Customs has conscientiously implemented the eight actions to support the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road", and has mainly carried out three aspects of work: First, accelerate the joint construction of national agricultural and food product market access, and sign agricultural and food access with the co-construction countries. There are 66 protocols and 11 technical cooperation documents on entry and exit animal and plant quarantine; the second is to promote trade security and convenience for joint construction countries, we held meetings on customs clearance coordination mechanisms at all levels of China-Vietnam, China-Russia, and China-Kazakhstan to adjust and optimize port working hours, promote the construction and transformation of border ports, and deepen the construction of "green channels" for rapid customs clearance of agricultural products to promote interconnection; the third is to strengthen cooperation with co-construction For practical cooperation with national counterparts, we have signed AEO cooperation documents with Burundi, Morocco, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the "single window" cooperation documents were signed with Malaysia and Russia, and the customs administrative mutual assistance agreement was signed with the Serbian customs, which promoted the development of bilateral economic and trade. Thank you!
new yellow river client reporter:
Cross-border e-commerce has been written into the "Government Work Report" for 11 consecutive years and has become a new momentum for foreign trade growth. May I ask, how is the import and export situation of cross-border e-commerce in the third quarter of this year? How does the customs promote the healthy development of cross-border e-commerce? Thank you.
Lv Daliang:
Thank you for the reporter's question, cross-border e-commerce import and export data has been widely concerned. According to China's cross-border e-commerce statistical survey system, the frequency of cross-border e-commerce statistical survey is semi-annual report and annual report, that is, twice a year. Recently, the cross-border e-commerce statistical survey in the first half of the year has just ended. I will first report the official data for the first half of the year.
In the first half of the year, my country's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports reached 1.25 trillion billion yuan, a record high in the same period in history, an increase of 13% year-on-year, accounting for 5.9 of my country's total import and export value, an increase of 0.4 percentage points from the first half of 2023. Of this total, exports were about 979.9 billion yuan, up 18.7 percent, while imports were 266.4 billion yuan, down 3.9 percent. In terms of destinations and sources, exports to the United States accounted for 34.2 per cent, the United Kingdom 8.1 per cent, Germany 6.2 per cent and France 4.5 per cent, and exports to Asian markets such as Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan were also active. Imports from the United States account for 16.7 per cent, Australia for 11.3 per cent and Japan for 10.6 per cent. Germany, France and New Zealand are also the main sources of imports.
From the commodity structure, exports, clothing, shoes, bags and jewelry accounted for 27.3, mobile phones and other electronic products accounted for 14.4, home textile products accounted for 12.4. Of the imports, cosmetics and toiletries accounted for 28.8 per cent and fresh food for 25.2 per cent. From the perspective of domestic regions, export goods mainly come from Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangsu, and imports are mainly concentrated in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Beijing.
Although the official cross-border e-commerce statistical survey is carried out every six months, in order to track and monitor the latest developments in cross-border e-commerce trade in a timely manner, we will also conduct preliminary calculations once a month. The latest preliminary estimates show that in the first three quarters, my country's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports were 1.88 trillion billion yuan, an increase of 11.5. Among them, exports were 1.48 trillion yuan, up 15.2 percent, while imports were 399.16 billion yuan, down 0.4 percent. This is the latest preliminary data.
In recent years, the Customs has fully supported the development of new business formats such as cross-border e-commerce. In June this year, we and relevant departments issued the "Opinions on Expanding Cross-border E-commerce Exports and Promoting the Construction of Overseas Stores." The national customs actively implement the relevant work requirements, comprehensively promote the paperless filing of overseas warehouse models, strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights in the field of cross-border e-commerce, continue to deepen the comprehensive reform of cross-border e-commerce, and actively promote the coordination of customs and cross-border e-commerce platforms Co-governance to help the high-quality development of cross-border e-commerce. Thank you!
Source: Customs Release (Public Number)
