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Exports Down Due to Holidays
Exports from Guangdong, China's biggest exporter, decreased by 19 per cent in January to hit US$5.97 billion.
This could prevent the province realizing its goal of seeing a total export volume of more than US$100 billion this year.
But Guangdong's exports still accounted for 35.3 per cent of the country's total last month, according to statistics released by Guangdong Customs Friday.
China's total export volume increased slightly, by 0.8 per cent in the first month of the year, while the country's foreign trade volume grew 1.3 per cent.
Foreign trade officials in the province attributed the reduction of exports to the New Year and the Spring Festival.
Meanwhile, the Guangdong provincial government took concrete and effective measures to crack down on export tax rebate fraud.
Eight cities in the province suffered from more than a 50 per cent decrease in export volumes in January.
Guangdong's imports also declined 5.6 per cent, to US$5.15 billion in January. Last month's import volume represented 33.2 per cent of the country's total.
Guangdong, which borders Hong Kong and Macao, saw a foreign trade volume of US$11.12 billion last month, down 13.3 per cent on the same period of 2000.
The province, which accounted for 34.3 per cent of China's total export and import volume in January, had a foreign trade surplus of US$820 million during the same month.
Electronics and machinery products, garments, shoes, toys and textiles continued to be the major foreign exchange earners last month.
Hong Kong, the United States, the European Union, Japan and Southeast Asia were the top five buyers of Guangdong products last month.
The province saw an import and export volume of US$170.1 billion in 2000, up 21.2 per cent on 1999.
The southern Chinese province had a foreign trade surplus of US$13.74 billion last year.
Export volume hit US$91.92 billion then, an increase of 18.3 per cent on the previous year,
while imports came to US$78.18 billion, up 24.8 per cent.
Guangdong's foreign trade volume in 2000 accounted for 35.9 per cent of the country's total, meaning it was still the biggest foreign trade region in the country. The province's export volume represented 36.9 per cent of China's total in 2000.
Last year, Guangdong mainly imported machinery and electronic products, crude oil, plastic materials, paper and chemicals.
Source: China Daily
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