The trade volume of China's top 500 traders totaled US$604.8
billion last year, according to statistics released yesterday by
the Ministry of Commerce.
Their businesses accounted for 42.6 percent of the country's
total exports and imports.
In a statement on its website, the ministry said the threshold
of the top 500 trading companies increased to US$300 million last
year from US$260 million in 2004, while the average export volume
increased to US$1.18 billion from US$910 million in 2004.
Energy, machinery, electronics and high-tech companies ranked
high in the top 500 list.
The ministry said the largest 10 traders all dealt in energy,
machinery, electronics and high-tech products.
Statistics also revealed that more than 95 percent of the top
traders are based in costal areas.
Only 18 of the top 500 companies are located in west or central
China.
Meanwhile, foreign-invested companies have taken a leading role
in China's foreign trade, accounting for more than 60 percent of
the top 500. State-owned enterprises made up 28 percent of the
total.
As China fulfilled its commitments to the World Trade
Organization, more privately-owned companies and foreign firms have
acquired trading rights.
In 2004, China became the third-largest trader in the world
after the United States and Germany.
The country's trade volume totaled US$1.42 trillion last year an
increase of 23.2 percent from a year ago.
(China Daily July 13, 2006)