China-Ukraine Trade Volume Expected to Hit 800 Million US DollarsThe China-Ukraine bilateral trade volume is expected to reach 800 million US dollars this year.The statistics from the General Administration of Customs show that from January to May 2001, the China-Ukraine trade volume reached 370 million US dollars, up 139.8% from the same period last year. While China's export volume grew 71.3% to 89 million US dollars, its import volume from Ukraine hit 280 million US dollars, with an increase of 174.8% from the same period last year. The trade volume in 2001 is expected to exceed that of 2000, which was 590 million US dollars. Now Ukraine has been China's third biggest trade partner among former Soviet countries. The rapid growth of China's chief export goods including mechanical and electronic products, textile products, shoes and magnesia. China mainly imports rolled steel, billets and other mechanical and electronic products from Ukraine, among which the import volume of the rolled steel has exceeded 100 million US dollars. The MOFTEC official said that the Chinese government attaches great importance to the economic and trade cooperation with Ukraine. The economic and trade cooperation commission between the two governments, set up in 1994 and having held five meetings already, will meet the sixth time in October 2001 according to a tentative program, he said. In recent years, the mutual visits at the summit level between the two countries pushed forward the bilateral economic and trade cooperation. The two governments have signed a series of economic and trade documents, including agreements on economic and trade cooperation, on investment protection, on the avoidance of double taxation and on the protection of intellectual property rights, laying a legal foundation for the bilateral economic and trade cooperation. |
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