Growth in China's energy product imports slowed down in the first 11 months of 2008, partly due to the effect of the ongoing global economic downturn and price fluctuations in the international markets, General Administration of Customs said on Wednesday.

Between January and November, China bought from abroad 240 million tonnes of energy products, a growth of 3.7 percent on the same period of 2007. The growth rate was 9.7 percentage points lower than the year-earlier level.

The imports were valued at 158.6 billion U.S. dollars, up 74 percent.

The total arrivals included 164.52 million tonnes of crude oil, up 9.5 percent, 35.22 million tonnes of refined oil, up 13.1 percent, 2.15 million tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), down 43.6 percent, 3.14 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG), up 18.1 percent, and 38.11 million tonnes of coal, down 18.4 percent.

Of the total imports, 54.9 percent came from Asia, and 30.8 percent from Africa.

(Xinhua News Agency January 28, 2009)