Brief Introduction

Data in this chapter provide summary data of China’s trade in goods, imports and exports in services, utilization of foreign capital, overseas direct investment, contracted projects and labour cooperation with foreign countries or territories over the years, focusing on the recent situation of foreign trade and economic cooperation.

I. Trade in Goods

Data on trade in goods include: varieties of imports and exports, amount (weight), value, countries (regions), imports and exports corporations, destination within territory, origin of goods within territory, mode of trade, types of tariffs and so on.

The scope of trade in goods statistics are designed according to United Nations’ principles on international trade statistics, that is: all imports or exports that will lead to stock changes of material resources with the territory of People’s Republic of China; excluding goods by escape clause.

Sources of data on trade in goods are from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China through a comprehensive reporting system.

Customs statistics in value terms for both imports and exports are compiled according to the classifications of UN Standard International Trade Classification (SITC). The list of import and export commodities is compiled based on  the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) stipulated by the Customs Cooperation Council （World Customs Organization） and China’s reality of imports and exports.

In the table on China’s total imports and exports with related countries and regions, the export commodities are calculated at the Customs of the countries (regions) of destination and the import commodities are calculated at the Customs of the countries (regions) of origin. The total values of the import and export commodities by region are calculated respectively at the provinces where the import or export corporations are situated and at the provinces of destination or provinces of origin within the border of the People’s Republic of China. The province where the import or export corporations are situated refers to the province where the import or export corporations have applied to and have been registered at the Customs. The province of origin within the border of the Peoples Republic of China refers to the province where the export commodities are produced or originally delivered. The province of destination within the border of the People’s Republic of China refers to the province where the import commodities are consumed, used or transported to the destination.

II. Imports and Exports of Services

Statistics on imports and exports in services is compiled according to Balance of Payments (BOP) and does not include services of government. Data on trade in services are from the Ministry of Commerce.

III. Utilization of Foreign Capitals

Utilization of foreign capitals includes: total amount of foreign investment actually utilized, and the basic condition of registration of foreign funded enterprises.

The statistics cover all the units and departments which have utilized foreign capitals, all the Sino-foreign joint ventures, Sino-foreign cooperative enterprises, ventures exclusively with foreign investment, foreign-funded stock companies, Sino-foreign cooperative development projects (including the enterprises funded by the entrepreneurs from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) with independent accounting system and legal person status,  and all foreign enterprises or enterprises funded by the entrepreneurs from Hong Kong Macao and Taiwan which engaged in business activities, and branches of foreign companies which have been approved  to be set up within the boundaries of the People’s Republic of China after verification and registration through administrative authorities for industry and commerce.

Data on utilization of foreign capitals are from Ministry of Commerce, data on basic condition of registration of foreign funded enterprises are from State Administration for Market Regulation through comprehensive reporting system.

Special notice: data on utilization of foreign capitals before 1985 were survey results from governmental statistical agencies, since 1986 all data are from Ministry of Commerce (formerly MOFTEC before 2003). Data on utilization of foreign capitals in 2000 and before include foreign loans. Data on the utilization of foreign capitals do not include banking, securities and insurance.

IV. Overseas Direct Investment

Overseas direct investment includes: basic situation of domestic investors and overseas enterprises, investment, earnings and their distribution between domestic and overseas invested enterprises, import and export of commodities through overseas enterprises, approval of overseas enterprises.

Statistics cover all types of overseas corporations and non-corporations that domestic investors own or control 10% or more equity, voting rights or other equivalent interests through direct investment.

Data are from Ministry of Commerce through comprehensive survey.

V. Foreign Economic Cooperation

Data on foreign economic cooperation include: number of contracts for overseas contracted projects, contracted volume, completed business turnover, and dispatched labour for overseas labour services, persons abroad by the end of year and so on.

Statistical scope is the enterprises or units that have overseas contracted projects, enterprises with qualifications for overseas labour services and seafarers dispatched agencies.

Data on foreign economic cooperation are from Ministry of Commerce through a comprehensive reporting system.