(The Chinese version shall prevail.)
Customs statistics show that the total value of bilateral trade between China and Central and Eastern European countries (hereinafter referred to as CEE) was RMB 79.37 billion in May 2023, an increase of 1.8% over the same period last year (the same below). Among them, the value of exports to CEE reached RMB 62.14 billion, an increase of 4.3%; the value of imports from CEE reached RMB 17.23 billion, a decrease of 6.3%.
In the first five months of 2023, the total value of bilateral trade between China and CEE was RMB 387.8 billion, an increase of 8.9%. Among them, those exported to CEE reached RMB 303.26 billion, an increase of 11.7%; those imported from CEE reached RMB 84.54 billion, flat with the same period last year.
The main features of bilateral trade between China and CEE in May 2023 are as follows:
(I) Mechanical & electrical products and labor-intensive products were the main exported products.
In May 2023, China exported RMB 41.54 billion of mechanical and electrical products to CEE, an increase of 4.8%, accounting for 66.9% of the gross value of exports to CEE from China (the same below) in the same month. Among them, the value of electrical equipment & materials reached RMB 6.34 billion, an increase of 21.2%; electronic components reached RMB 4.03 billion, an increase of 15.6%. Over the same period, the export of labor-intensive products reached RMB 11.45 billion, with an increase of 7%, accounting for 18.4% of the gross export value from China to CEE. Among them, the value of garments and accessories reached RMB 3.9 billion, a decrease of 4.7%; the value of textile yarn, fabrics and their products reached RMB 2.13 billion, a decrease of 23.8%. In addition, the export of steel was RMB 1.16 billion, up 33.1%, accounting for 1.9%; the export of agricultural products was RMB 730 million, up 3.8%, accounting for 1.2%; the export of food was RMB 340 million, down 2.2%.
(II) Mechanical & electrical products, metallic mineral ores, and agricultural products were the main imported products.
In May 2023, China imported RMB 11.74 billion of mechanical and electrical products from CEE, down 12.8%, accounting for 68.2% of the gross value of imports from CEE to China (the same below) in the same month. Among them, the value of passenger cars reached RMB 3.17 billion, with a decrease of 31.9%; the value of auto parts reached RMB 2.14 billion, with a decrease of 10.9%. In the same period, the import of metal ore and sand was RMB 1.12 billion, with an increase of 9.9%, accounting for 6.5%; the import of agricultural products was RMB 560 million, with an increase of 74.8%, accounting for 3.3%; the import of wood and its products was RMB 530 million, with a decrease of 12.3%, accounting for 3.1%. In addition, the import of food was RMB 500 million, with an increase of 81.4 percent, accounting for 2.9 percent.
(III) Poland, the Czech Republic and Greece were the top three trading partners.
In May 2023, China's imports from and exports to Poland, the Czech Republic and Greece amounted to RMB 24.24 billion, RMB 11.49 billion and RMB 9.65 billion respectively, an increase of 0.5%, a decrease of 2.9%, and an increase of 18.5% respectively, accounting for 30.5%, 14.5% and 12.2% of China's gross import-export value from and to CEE in the same month, respectively.