China's total trade in mechanical and electrical products
increased 22.2 percent year-on-year in 2007, to 1.2 trillion U.S.
dollars, and the sector accounted for 55.3 percent of the country's
trade.
"China is expected to replace the U.S. as the world's
second-largest exporter of mechanical and electrical goods," the
Beijing-based China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of
Machinery and Electronic Products said on its web site on
Wednesday.
The absolute leader is Germany, which is the world's largest
trader and exporter of mechanical and electronic products
Statistics from China and elsewhere show a global industry in
continued transition, in terms of volume, trade patterns and
product mix. China is exporting more electro-mechanical products
but also importing more.
The sector's trade surplus was 202.2 billion U.S. dollars, up
66.2 percent, with exports up 27.6 percent to 701.2 billion U.S.
dollars and imports up 16.7 percent to 499 billion U.S.
dollars.
China's total trade set a record of 2.17 trillion U.S. dollars
last year, with a surplus that surged to 262.2 billion U.S.
dollars, up 47.7 percent year-on-year, according to the General
Administration of Customs.
The United States has long been the world's top importer of
mechanical and electrical products, but China last year became the
third-largest destination for U.S. exports of these products.
According to U.S. Customs data, the United States exported 15.8
million U.S. dollars worth of mechanical and electrical products to
China during the first half of 2007, compared with 15.7 million
U.S. dollars to Japan.
Experts noted that household electrical appliances and light
industrial products made in China had an absolute advantage over
American goods in price and product range, but the United States
maintained its advantage in high-technology items.
(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2008)
