China's foreign trade totaled US$423.84 billion during the first five months of this year, up 37.1 percent year-on-year, according to statistics from the Chinese General Administration of Customs.

The figure included exports worth US$207.59 billion, and US$216.25 billion in imports.

China exported US$113.59 billion worth of machinery and electronic goods in the five months, up 44.2 percent, which accounted for 54.7 percent of the country's total exports.

Of all the machinery and electronic goods trade, machinery and equipment exports totaled US$42.94 billion, up 49.3 percent, while imports were US$35.32 billion, up 30.5 percent.

The value of exported electric and electronic goods was US$45.01 billion, up 48.8 percent, while that of the same imported items was US$52.1 billion, up 42.4 percent.

Exports of China's traditional export items in large volumes remained strong during the period.

China exported US$20.8 billion worth of garments, up 20.9 percent, US$12.63 billion worth of yarn for textile, fabric and products made of yarn and fabric, up 24 percent, and US$5.69 billion worth of shoes, up 15.4 percent.

Of imported goods, China posted a decrease in soybeans in May, and slower growth in iron ore and steel imports due to the country's efforts to cool overheating investment in iron and steel sectors and some construction projects.

China imported US$45.32 billion of primary goods during the five months, up 62 percent, including 2.74 million tons of cooking vegetable oil, up 78.8 percent and 7.48 million tons of soybean, down by 2.4 percent.

Imports of crude oil totaled 49.76 million tons, up 37.7 percent, and imports of iron ore stood at 81.54 million tons, up 33.7 percent.

(Xinhua New Agency June 14, 2004)