China's foreign trade continued to grow in the first three quarters, but at a slower pace, National Bureau of Statistics spokesman Li Xiaochao said on Tuesday in Beijing.
Li said at a press conference Tuesday morning that the country' s total export and import volume reached US$376.4 billion in the first three quarters, up 9 percent from the same period last year. Of which export was US$195 billion, up 7 percent; import was US$181.4 billion, up 11.2 percent.
China's trade surplus was US$13.6 billion, down US$5.6 billion from the same period last year. The growth of foreign direct investment was recovering, with an actual such investment of US$32.2 billion in the first three quarters, up 20.7 percent, he said.
China Daily 10/26/2001)
