China's total trade volume amounted to US$474.3 billion in 2000, the highest since 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded, according to statistics from the General Administration of Customs.

Exports were valued at US$249.2 billion, up 27.8 percent, while imports totaled 225.1 billion dollars, up 35.8 percent. The year 2000 saw a favorable balance of US$24.1 billion.

The statistics show that both the trade volume and the growth rate reached the highest in the past 20 years.

The average growth rate of China's foreign trade was 13.4 percent in the past 20 years. In 2000, the total export, total import, and the tax income of the customs all exceeded US$200 billion.

The export structure has changed noticeably and the import of primary goods has substantially increased. The export of electronic and machinery products grew by 36.9 percent to reach US$105.3 billion, accounting for 42.3 percent of the total export.

The export of high and new technical products grew by 50 percent to reach 37 billion dollars.

China imported 46.7 billion dollars of primary goods in 2000, up 74.1 percent, mainly including crude oil and soybean. The import of some electronic and machinery products and high-tech goods also increased by more than 30 percent.

(People's Daily 01/11/01)