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An Overview of Bilateral Trade between China and Central and Eastern European Countries in October 2023

Issue Date:2023-11-24

(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 77.82 billion in October 2023, an increase of 9.5% over the same period last year (the same below). Among them, those exported to CEE reached RMB 56.34 billion, roughly the same as the previous year; those imported from CEE reached RMB 21.48 billion, an increase of 45.8%.


In the first ten months of 2023, the total value of bilateral trade between China and CEE was RMB 781.11 billion, an increase of 2.7%. Among them, those exported to CEE reached RMB 607.47 billion, an increase of 3.1%; those imported from CEE reached RMB 173.64 billion, an increase of 1.2%.


The main features of bilateral trade between China and CEE in October 2023 are as follows:


(I) Mechanical & electrical products and labor-intensive products were the main exported products.


In October 2023, China exported RMB 40.13 billion of mechanical and electrical products to CEE, a decrease of 0.5%, accounting for 71.2% of the gross value of exports to CEE from China (the same below) in the same month. Among them, the value of electrical equipment & material reached RMB 5.33 billion, a decrease of 19.3%; the value of automatic data processing equipment and its parts and components reached RMB 4.13 billion, a decrease of 11.8%. Over the same period, the export of labor-intensive products reached RMB 8.37 billion, with an increase of 1.5%, accounting for 14.9% of the gross export value from China to CEE. Among them, the value of garments and accessories reached RMB 2.08 billion, with a decrease of 8.8%; the value of textile yarn, fabrics and their products reached RMB 1.69 billion, with an increase of 15%. In addition, the export of agricultural products was RMB 940 million, an increase of 34.3%, accounting for 1.7%; the export of basic organic chemicals was RMB 550 million, staying unchanged compared with that of the same period last year, accounting for 1%; the export of steel was RMB 470 million, an increase of 21.4%, and the export of food was RMB 440 million, an increase of 34.3%.


(II) Mechanical & electrical products, metallic mineral ores, unwrought copper and copper materials were the main imported products.


In October 2023, China imported RMB 16.54 billion of mechanical and electrical products from CEE, an increase of 52%, accounting for 77% 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 7.67 billion, an increase of 149.4%; the value of auto parts reached RMB 2.23 billion, an increase of 10%. In the same period, the value of imported metal ore and ore sand reached RMB 1.05 billion, an increase of 223.2%, accounting for 4.9%; the value of imported unwrought copper and copper material reached RMB 800 million, an increase of 99.9%, accounting for 3.7%. In addition, the value of imported agricultural products was RMB 420 million, an increase of 95.8%, accounting for 2%; the value of imported wood and its products was RMB 320 million, a decrease of 5.2%, accounting for 1.5%; the value of imported pharmaceutical materials and drugs reached RMB 280 million, a decrease of 2.5%, accounting for 1.3%; and the value of imported food was RMB 170 million, an increase of 4%, accounting for 0.8%.


(III) Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia were the top three trading partners.


In October 2023, China’s imports from and exports to Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia amounted to RMB 22.95 billion, RMB 11.74 billion and RMB 11.09 billion respectively, an increase of 5.5%, a decrease of 7.9%, and an increase of 70.1% respectively, accounting for 29.5%, 15.1% and 14.3% of China’s gross import-export value from and to CEE in the same month, respectively.