Brief Introduction

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

I. Trade in Goods

Data on trade in goods include: varieties of imports and exports, quantity (weight), value, countries (regions), import and export 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 within 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), taking into consideration of China’s reality of imports and exports.

In the tables on China’s total imports and exports with related countries and regions, the exported commodities are compiled by the countries (regions) of destination outside China’s customs, and the imported commodities are compiled by the Customs of the countries (regions) of origin outside China’s customs. The total values of the imports and exports by region are compiled respectively at the provinces where the import or export corporations are located 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 located 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 imported commodities are consumed, used or transported to the destination.

II. Trade in Services

Statistics on imports and exports in services are compiled according to Balance of Payments (BOP). 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 invested 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 of market regulation.

Data on utilization of foreign capitals are from Ministry of Commerce, data on registration status of foreign funded enterprises are from the 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 the 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. Outbound Direct Investment

Outbound 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 the 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 workers for overseas labour services, persons abroad by the end of year and so on.

Statistics in this aspect cover enterprises or units that have overseas contracted projects, enterprises with qualifications for overseas labour services and qualified agencies engaging in dispatching seamen.

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