China's foreign trade with other BRICS countries maintained stable growth in the first half of this year, expanding 3.9 percent year on year, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said Monday.
Since the beginning of this year, the BRICS cooperation mechanism has been expanded again and has become the forefront of the Global South, said Lyu Daliang, head of the Department of Statistics and Analysis of the GAC, at a press conference in Beijing.
"In the first half of the year, China's imports and exports with other BRICS members and partner countries reached 6.11 trillion yuan (about 580 billion U.S. dollars), up 3.9 percent year on year, accounting for 28.1 percent of China's total imports and exports. We integrate trade and investment with research and development, support the relevant countries in improving infrastructure and promoting industrial transformation and upgrading, which in turn further drives trade growth," Lyu said.
He noted that in the industrial sector, BRICS countries and partner nations each have their own comparative advantages, and cooperation in production and supply chains, such as in chemicals, metals, and electronics, has grown closer.
"In the first six months, China's imports of printed circuits and parts and accessories of automatic data processing equipment from other BRICS countries increased significantly, while its imports of rubber and plastics from them maintained steady growth. China's exports of petrochemical machinery, metal processing machine tools, and other equipment also rose relatively rapidly," Lyu said.
He pointed out that in the agriculture sector, BRICS countries now span Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America, and their agricultural products each have distinct characteristics, enabling them to meet one another's diversified needs.
"From January ot June, China's imports of edible vegetable oils -- such as palm oil and rapeseed oil --from other BRICS countries rose by 13.7 percent year on year, while its imports of edible aquatic products like shrimps and crabs increased by 10.6 percent over the same period of last year. China's exports of citrus fruits and grapes to other BRICS countries also grew relatively rapidly at the same time. Additionally, China also exported agricultural machinery, including combine harvesters and cotton pickers, to other BRICS nations, with such machinery exports surging by 34.7 percent year on year, contributing to the agricultural modernization of these countries," Lyu said.
"In the field of infrastructure construction, in the first half of the year, China's exports of road rollers and concrete mixers to other BRICS countries increased by 42.7 percent and 37.9 percent year on year respectively," he said.
In October last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the establishment of the BRICS Customs Center of Excellence. On June 30, the BRICS "Smart Customs" Center of Excellence officially launched its website. This initiative serves a dual purpose: sharing China's "Smart Customs" practices with fellow BRICS members while also helping businesses better understand trade policies across BRICS nations.
Lyu added that in a next phase, the GAC will work to accelerate customs capacity building and enhance exchanges and cooperation among BRICS countries. Efforts will focus on establishing a model platform for "Smart Customs" collaboration, implementing the outcomes of the 17th BRICS Summit convened on July 6 and 7 in Rio de Janeiro under Brazil's presidency, and providing robust support for deeper economic and trade integration within the bloc.
China's trade with other BRICS countries up 3.9 percent in H1
