Trade between China and lusophone countries falls 11 percent

Trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries fell 11.22 percent in the first eight months of the year compared to the same period of 2015, according to figures from the Chinese Customs Services, released by the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macau Forum).
According to official statistics the trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries in the first eight months of the year reached USD60.23 billion.
Beijing imported from Portuguese-speaking countries products valued at $41.68 billion (-0.74 percent) and exported goods valued at $18.54 billion (-28.24 percent) over the first eight months of 2016.
Brazil remained China’s main economic partner with trade of $45.16 billion (-7.69 percent) compared to the same period of 2015. China’s exports to Brazil amounted to USD13.85 billion (-30.14 percent), while imports from Brazil amounted to $31.3 billion (+ 7.62 percent).
With Angola, China second biggest trading partner amongst the eight Portuguese-speaking countries, trade fell 28.34 percent to $10.19 billion.
Beijing exported to Angola products estimated at $10.6 billion (-60.27 percent), compared to the first eight months of 2015 and imported $9.13 billion (-20.96 percent).
Trade between China and Portugal in the first eight months of the year represented $3.57 billion (+19.19 percent). China exported $2.61 billion’s worth of goods to Portugal and imported goods valued at $966 million (-6.78 percent).
Trade between China and Mozambique totaled $1.140 billion a decrease of 27.26 percent over the first eight months of 2015 with exports and imports falling respectively by 32.23 percent and 5 percent.
Figures from China’s Customs Services include China’s trade with Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), Guinea-Bissau, Timor-Leste (East Timor) and Sao Tome and Principe, despite the latter not being a Macau Forum member as it has diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Of this group only Guinea-Bissau fell by 48.43 percent in trade in the first eight months of the year.  MDT/Macauhub