Jiangsu Emerges as China's Second Largest Exporter

Jiangsu Province in east China has emerged as the country's second largest exporter in the first half of the year after Guangdong Province in south China.

Statistics from Nanjing Customs show that the province exported 13.79 billion U.S. dollars worth of goods in the first six months of the year, up 18.3 percent from the same period of last year. The growth rate of Jiangsu's exports was 9.5 percentage points higher than the national average.

Sources from the customs said that the impact of the weak economy of Japan and the slowdown in the U.S. economy has not been as strong as expected.

The growth rate of Jiangsu's exports started to slide in February and dropped to its lowest level of 2.2 percent in May.

But the exploration of new markets quickly paid off, with its exports reporting a 10.4 percent rise in June.

Foreign-funded enterprises made up 57.4 percent of Jiangsu's

exports. State-owned enterprises accounted for 35.7 percent.

The province imported 20.71 billion dollars worth of goods in the same period.

People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/