China saw export of high-energy-consuming products down year-on-year by a big margin in 2008, as government efforts to restrict foreign sales of such goods for environmental protection purposes had paid off.

The products include rolled steel, iron alloy, steel billet, pig iron, aluminum, copper, cement and chemical fertilizer.

The General Administration of Customs said on Saturday that last year China sold abroad 103 million tonnes of high-energy-consuming products, a decline of 16.2 percent from the previous year.

But the value of the exports was up 31.4 percent to 89.8 billion U.S. dollars, the administration added.

The Republic of Korea was China's top export destination for high-energy-consuming goods, accounting for 16.1 percent, or 16.53 million tonnes of China's total foreign sales of such products, up 1.6 percent.

China's exports of high-energy-consuming goods to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members, the European Union and the United States down 24.9 percent, 43.2 percent and 21.8 percent, respectively, to 13.78 million tonnes, 12.39 million tonnes and 8.42 million tonnes.

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2009)