China's Trade with the United States and the World

China’s Trade with the
United States and the World
Updated January 4, 2007
Thomas Lum
Specialist in Asian Affairs
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Dick K. Nanto
Specialist in Industry and Trade
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division



China’s Trade with the United States and the World
Summary
As imports from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have surged in recent
years, posing a threat to some U.S. industries and manufacturing employment,
Congress has begun to focus on not only access to the Chinese market and
intellectual property rights (IPO) protection, but also the mounting U.S. trade deficit
with China as well as allegations that China is selling its products on the international
market at below cost (dumping), engaging in “currency manipulation,” and exploiting
its workers for economic gain. Members of the 109th Congress introduced several
bills that would impose trade sanctions on China for intervening in the currency
market or for engaging in other acts of unfair trade, while the Bush Administration
has imposed anti-dumping duties and safeguards against some PRC products and
pressured China to further revalue its currency and remove non-tariff trade barriers.
China runs a trade surplus with the world’s three major economic centers — the
United States, the European Union, and Japan. Since 2000, the United States has
incurred its largest bilateral trade deficit with China ($201 billion in 2005, a 25% rise
over 2004). In 2003, China replaced Mexico as the second largest source of imports
for the United States. China’s share of U.S. imports was 14.6% in 2005, although
this proportion still falls short of Japan’s 18% of the early 1990s. The United States
is China’s largest overseas market and second largest source of foreign direct
investment on a cumulative basis. U.S. exports to China have been growing rapidly
as well, although from a low base. In 2004, China replaced Germany and the United
Kingdom to become the fourth largest market for U.S. goods and remains the fastest
growing major U.S. export market. China is purchasing heavily from its Asian
trading partners — particularly precision machinery, electronic components, and raw
materials for manufacturing. China is running trade deficits with Taiwan and South
Korea and has become a major buyer of goods from Japan and Southeast Asia.
In the past decade, the most dramatic increases in U.S. imports from China have
been not in labor-intensive sectors but in some advanced technology sectors, such as
office and data processing machines, telecommunications and sound equipment, and
electrical machinery and appliances. China’s exports to the United States are taking
market share from other Pacific Rim countries, particularly the East Asian newly
industrialized countries (NICS), which have moved most of their low-end production
facilities to China.
This report provides a quantitative framework for policy considerations dealing
with U.S. trade with China. It provides basic data and analysis of China’s
international trade with the United States and other countries. Since Chinese data
differ considerably from those of its trading partners (because of how entrepot trade
through Hong Kong is counted), data from both PRC sources and those of its trading
partners are presented. Charts showing import trends by sector for the United States
highlight China’s growing market shares in many industries and also show import
shares for Japan, Canada, Mexico, the European Union, and the Association for
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This report will be updated bi-annually.



Contents
The Rationale for U.S. Policy and Initiatives............................1
Trade Policy Developments......................................3
Congressional Actions......................................4
Summary of Trade Data.............................................6
China’s Trade Balance and Imports....................................8
China and the Asia Pacific Region...................................11
China’s Trade with the United States, Europe, and Japan..................14
U.S. Merchandise Trade Balances with Major Trading Partners.............16
U.S. Trade with China by Sector.....................................17
U.S. Exports to China.........................................17
U.S. Imports from China.......................................18
U.S. Imports From China — Sector Charts and Data.....................23
Iron and Steel............................................23
Specialized Industrial Machinery.............................25
Office Machines and Computers.............................26
Telecommunications and Sound Equipment....................27
Electrical Machinery and Parts..............................28
Road Motor Vehicles......................................29
Building and Lighting Products..............................30
Furniture ................................................32
Travel Goods and Handbags................................33
Apparel and Clothing......................................34
Footwear ...............................................35
Professional, Scientific, and Controlling Instruments.............37
Photographic and Optical Equipment and Timepieces............38
Foreign Direct Investment in China...................................39
Appendix .......................................................40
List of Figures
Figure 1. China’s Exports, Imports, and Balance of Merchandise Trade,
1983-2005 (PRC data)..........................................9
Figure 2. Shares of Total U.S. Imports by Country and Country Group,
1990 and 2005...............................................13
Figure 3. U.S. Exports, Imports, and Balance of Trade with China, 1983-2005.14
Figure 4. Japan’s Merchandise Imports, Exports, and Balance of Trade
with China, 1983-2005.........................................15



Trade with China, 1983-2005...................................16
Figure 6. U.S. Merchandise Trade Balances with Selected Countries in 2005.17
Figure 7. Top Six Imports from China by Industry, 1994-2005.............19
Figure 8. U.S. Imports of Iron and Steel Products (SITC 67) by Country and
Group, 1990-2005............................................24
Figure 9. U.S. Imports of Specialized Industrial Machinery (SITC 72) by
Country and Group, 1990-2005..................................25
Figure 10. U.S. Imports of Office Machines and Automatic Data
Processing Machines (SITC 75) by Country and Group, 1990-2005.....26
Figure 11. Imports of Telecommunications and Sound Equipment
(SITC 76) by Country and Group, 1990-2005.......................27
Figure 12. U.S. Imports of Electrical Machinery and Parts (SITC 77) by
Country and Group, 1990-2005..................................28
Figure 13. U.S. Imports of Road Motor Vehicles (SITC 78) by Country and
Group, 1990-2005............................................30
Figure 14. U.S. Imports of Building and Lighting Products (SITC 81) by
Country and Group, 1990-2005..................................31
Figure 15. U.S. Imports of Furniture and Parts (SITC 82) by Country and
Group, 1990-2005............................................32
Figure 16. Imports of Travel Goods, Handbags, and Similar Products
(SITC 83) by Country and Group, 1990-2005.......................33
Figure 17. U.S. Imports of Apparel and Clothing Accessories (SITC 84) by
Country and Group, 1990-2005..................................34
Figure 18. U.S. Imports of Footwear (SITC 85) by Country and Group,
1990-2005 ..................................................35
Figure 19. U.S. Imports of Professional, Scientific, and Controlling
Instruments (SITC 87) by Country and Group, 1990-2005.............37
Figure 20. U.S. Imports of Photographic Equipment, Optical Goods,
Watches and Clocks (SITC 88) by Country and Group, 1990-2005......38
List of Tables
Table 1. China’s Imports by Major Commodity, 1999-2005...............11
Table 2. Top Twenty U.S. Exports to China, 1997-2005..................18
Table 3. Top Twenty U.S. Imports from China, 1997-2005................20
Table 4. U.S. Balance of Trade with China by Sector, 2003-2005...........22
Table 5. U.S. Imports of Iron and Steel Products (SITC 67) from Selected
Countries and Country Groups, 1991, 2000-2005....................24
Table 6. U.S. Imports of Specialized Industrial Machinery (SITC 72) from
Selected Countries and Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005.............25
Table 7. U.S. Imports of Office Machines and Automatic Data Processing
Machines (SITC 75) from Selected Countries and Country Groups,
1990, 2001-2005.............................................26
Table 8. U.S. Imports of Telecommunications and Sound Equipment
(SITC 76) from Selected Countries and Country Groups,
1990, 2001-2005.............................................27
Table 9. U.S. Imports of Electrical Machinery and Parts
(SITC 77) from Selected Countries and Country Groups,

1990, 2001-2005.............................................28



Countries and Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005....................30
Table 11. U.S. Imports of Prefabricated Buildings, Sanitary, Plumbing,
Heating and Lighting Fixtures and Fittings (SITC 81) from Selected
Countries and Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005....................31
Table 12. U.S. Imports of Furniture and Parts (SITC 82) from Selected
Countries and Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005....................32
Table 13. U.S. Imports of Travel Goods, Handbags, (SITC 83) from
Selected Countries and Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005.............33
Table 14. U.S. Imports of Apparel and Clothing Accessories (SITC 84)
from Selected Countries and Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005........35
Table 15. U.S. Imports of Footwear (SITC 85) from Selected Countries and
Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005...............................36
Table 16. U.S. Imports of Professional, Scientific and Controlling
Instruments and Apparatus (SITC 87) from Selected Countries and
Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005...............................37
Table 17. U.S. Imports of Photographic Apparatus, Equipment and
Supplies and Optical Goods; Watches and Clocks (SITC 88) from
Selected Countries and Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005.............38
Table 18. China’s Utilized Foreign Direct Investment Inflows, Top
Foreign Investors, 2000-2005...................................39
Table A1. China’s Merchandise Trade with the World, 1984-2005..........40
Table A2. U.S. Merchandise Trade with China and China’s Merchandise
Trade with the United States, 1984-2005..........................41
Table A3. Japan’s Merchandise Trade with China and China’s Merchandise
Trade with Japan, 1984-2005....................................42
Table A4. European Merchandise Trade with China and China’s Merchandise
Trade with the European Union, 1984-2005 ........................43
Table A5. Major Country Merchandise Exports to China, Imports from
China, and Trade Balances with China, 2004 and 2005...............44
Table A6. U.S. Merchandise Trade Balances with Selected Asian
Developing Nations, 1984-2005.................................45



China’s Trade with the United States
and the World
U.S. trade with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has raised several policy
concerns. The trade is highly unbalanced in China’s favor with a U.S. deficit of $201
billion in 2005. Year-to-date (January-October 2006), the U.S. deficit reached $190
billion. Many associate this deficit with the concomitant loss of American jobs in
industries competing with rapidly rising imports from China. Some policymakers as
well as leaders of industry and labor blame China for unfair trade practices, including
deliberately undervaluing its currency, which they claim create an uneven playing
field for U.S. companies when competing against imports from the PRC. U.S.-China
trade issues are often driven by larger policy objectives. U.S. trade with China is but
one aspect of the overall U.S. policy of engagement with the PRC, a policy that
serves broader U.S. interests. Trade also underpins Beijing’s development strategy
and contributes to domestic support for the PRC government.
This report presents data and analysis of China’s trade that shed light on various
policy issues, provides an overview of recent U.S. legislative initiatives, and
examines the goals and constraints of U.S. trade policy toward the PRC. Some of the
specific questions addressed are how the U.S. trade balance with China compares
with those of the European Union and Japan, whether imports from China are merely
replacing imports from other Pacific Rim nations, and how imports from China by
industry compare with imports from other countries.
The Rationale for U.S. Policy and Initiatives
Allowing trade with China to develop is part of the overall U.S. strategy of
engagement with the PRC. The rationale behind engagement is that working with
China through economic, diplomatic, informational, and military interchanges helps
the United States to achieve important national security goals such as preventing
nuclear proliferation, defeating global terrorism, defusing regional conflicts, fostering1
global economic growth, and championing aspirations for human dignity. These
goals are aimed at achieving U.S. national interests of security and prosperity for all
Americans and projecting U.S. values abroad.
U.S. trade policy toward China is based upon the assumption that trade between
the two countries has both economic and political benefits: (1) in general, trade with
China benefits both sides and allows for a more efficient allocation of available
resources; (2) the rapidly developing Chinese economy affords a rare opportunity for
U.S. businesses to become part of a huge and rapidly expanding market; (3) China’s


1 The White House, The National Security Strategy of the United States of America (March

2006), available at [http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss/2006].



membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) compels the PRC to comply
with international trading rules and spurs the development of market forces in the
country; and (4) foreign trade and investment create a dependency on exports,
imports, and foreign investment and other interaction with the outside world in
China, which in turn strengthen its relations with the Western world, create centers
of power outside the Chinese Communist Party, and foster economic and social
pressures for democracy; (5) a country as significant as China — accounting for a
quarter of the world’s population, armed with nuclear weapons, and a member of the
U.N. Security Council — cannot be ignored or isolated. According to some experts,
globalization and economic interests may be exerting a moderating influence on
Beijing’s policies toward protecting China’s national security interests. However,
the Chinese Communist Party’s determination to maintain political legitimacy
through economic growth also creates tensions with other countries and with
emerging non-Party political actors.
The possible problems or challenges raised by the U.S. strategy of economic
engagement with China include adjusting to economic competition in sectors where
China has a comparative advantage, responding to PRC unfair trade practices, and
the rise of an economically powerful China that is becoming more assertive in global
affairs: (1) Imports from China may be entering in such increased quantities that they
are a substantial cause of serious injury, or threat thereof, to competing U.S.
industries;2 (2) Imports from China may be dumped, subsidized, or unfairly aided by
government entities in China, which still wield considerable influence in the
economy;3 (3) According to some economists and many policymakers, the U.S. trade
deficit with the PRC stems in large part from Beijing’s policy of maintaining an
undervalued currency; (4) China has a poor record of adopting or enforcing
internationally recognized standards for working conditions and environmental
regulation which, in addition to violating human rights and harming the environment,
may provide PRC businesses with unfair competitive advantages; and (5) U.S.
economic engagement with China arguably contributes to the legitimacy of the
socialist government and the strengthening of China’s military by facilitating general
economic development.
U.S. trade law and WTO regulations can deal with injury from imports and
unfair trade practices. Trade disputes with China would normally be first discussed
bilaterally before taking the case to the WTO for dispute resolution. China’s alleged
violations of international labor and environmental standards, as well as its own laws
and government regulations, have fewer institutional remedies for the United States.
Policy options include working to improve China’s compliance through bilateral
consultations and technical assistance, international organizations (such as the
International Labor Organization), non-governmental organizations, and multilateral


2 See Sections 201 to 204 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. §§ 2251-2254).
3 Unfair competition includes dumping (sales in the United States of an imported product
at less than fair value), countervailable subsidies (excessive government subsidies of
exporting industries) (see Subtitles A and B of Title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930, as added
by the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (19 U.S.C. §§ 1673 et seq.), and imports that infringe
on intellectual property rights (see Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, 19 U.S.C. § 1337).

treaties (such as the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto
Protocol),4 and the threat of trade sanctions.
Trade Policy Developments
In the past few years, the United States has taken numerous actions in response
to PRC trade practices that is has deemed unfair while China taken some incremental
steps to heed U.S. demands.5
!In December 2006, China hosted the first China-U.S. Strategic
Economic Dialogue led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson
and PRC Vice-Premier Wu Yi. Talks focused on the following
issues: China’s exchange rate flexibility, the bilateral trade
imbalance, PRC intellectual property rights violations, energy, and
the environment. The U.S. Treasury Department released a report
on December 19, 2006, that did not refer to China as engaging in
currency manipulation for the purpose of gaining a trade advantage.
!On January 13, 2006, the Bush Administration announced that it
would apply the so-called military catch-all rule to items on the
Commodity Control List which could require licenses for the export
of items to China that could be used to strengthen China’s military
power.
!On November 8, 2005, the United States Trade Representative
(USTR) announced that the United States and China had, after three
months of intense negotiations, reached a broad agreement on textile
trade. The Agreement lasts through the life of the China WTO
Textile Safeguard (through 2008), covers more than 30 individual
products, and contains quotas that begin at low levels.6
!On July 21, 2005, the PRC government announced that its currency,
the yuan, would be revalued upward (from 8.3 yuan to 8.11 yuan to
the U.S. dollar) and that its future value would be “referenced” to a
basket of currencies. However, according to most experts, China’s


4 See CRS Report RL33602, Global Climate Change: Major Scientific and Policy Issues,
by John R. Justus and Susan R. Fletcher.
5 For further discussion of U.S. trade, U.S. -China trade, and U.S. trade policies toward
China, see CRS Report RL33577, U.S. International Trade: Trends and Forecasts, by Dick
Nanto; CRS Report RL33536, China-U.S. Trade Issues, by Wayne M. Morrison; and CRS
Report RL32165, China’s Currency: Economic Issues and Options for U.S. Trade Policy,
by Wayne Morrison and Marc Labonte.
6 Office of the United States Trade Representative. “USTR Portman Announces US-China
Broad Textile Agreement.” USTR Press Release, November 8, 2005.

central bank continues to intervene in the currency market in order
to maintain a stable exchange rate.7
!In May 2005, the Bush Administration imposed “safeguard” quotas
on 16 categories of Chinese apparel in response to a surge in such
imports following the lifting of textiles and apparel quotas
worldwide in January 2005.
!In December 2004, the U.S. government imposed anti-dumping
duties on imported Chinese bedroom furniture. This case, the largest
anti-dumping action against China, reportedly has both supporters
and opponents in the U.S. furniture industry.8
!In September 2004, the U.S. government rejected a Section 301
(Trade Act of 1974) complaint filed by the China Currency Coalition
alleging that China’s fixed exchange rate constituted currency
manipulation. In November 2004, the Administration rejected a
similar petition filed by Members of Congress, while continuing to
press and advise China on revaluing or floating its currency.
!In April 2004, the Bush Administration rejected a Section 301
petition filed by the AFL-CIO alleging unfair trade practices based
upon exploitation of labor in the PRC and calling for a tariff of up
to 77% on goods imported from China. In July 2006, the USTR
rejected another, similar Section 301 petition filed by the AFL-CIO.
!In March 2004, the Bush Administration filed the United States’ first
complaint against China under the WTO’s dispute settlement
mechanism, charging that the PRC unfairly taxed imported
semiconductors.9 In July 2004, China eliminated the tax breaks for
domestically-produced semi-conductors.
Congressional Actions. On December 15, 2006, Representative Sander
Levin, who is to chair the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee in the 110th
Congress, declared that he would support policies that would address what many
regard as China’s unfair trade advantage, gained largely through the PRC
government’s manipulation of the value of its currency. These measures include
legislation that would impose countervailing duties against non-market economies
such as China’s and the filing of a Section 301 petition requesting the Administration
to file a WTO case against China. Senator Max Baucus, incoming Chairman of the


7 The yuan can fluctuate within a band of 0.3% per day. The exchange rate as of December

2006 was 7.8 yuan to 1.0 U.S. dollar.


8 Doug Palmer, “U.S. Sets Duty of up to 198 Pct on Chinese Furniture,” Reuters News,
November 9, 2004.
9 Chris Buckley, “China on Unfamiliar Ground in Trade Fight with U.S.,” New York Times,
March 23, 2004.

Senate Finance Committee, stated that “greater flexibility for China’s currency is
long overdue.”10
In the 109th Congress, several bills aimed at reducing the U.S. trade imbalance
with the PRC were introduced. These bills addressed issues such as China’s currency
practices, other alleged unfair trade practices (including dumping and export
subsidies), violation of intellectual property rights, and non-compliance with WTO
regulations. The following are selected bills from the 109th Congress related to U.S.-
China trade:
!H.R. 4808 (Jones: Introduced February 28, 2006) To prohibit the
importation of motor vehicles of the PRC until the tariff rates that
China imposes on motor vehicles of the United States are equal to
the rates of duty applicable to motor vehicles of the PRC.
!S. 2267 (Dorgan/Graham: Introduced February 9, 2006) To
withdraw normal trade relations treatment from, and apply certain
provisions of Title IV of the Trade Act of 1974 to, the products of
the People’s Republic of China. Related bill: H.R. 728 (Sanders).
!H.R. 3283 (English: Introduced July 14, 2005) Amends the Tariff
Act of 1930 to impose countervailing duties on certain merchandise
from nonmarket economy countries. Passed in the House on July

27, 2005. Related bill: S. 1421 (Collins).


!H.R. 1498 (Ryan: Introduced April 6, 2006) To clarify that
exchange-rate manipulation by the People’s Republic of China is
actionable under the countervailing duty provisions and the product-
specific safeguard mechanisms of the trade laws of the United
States.
!S. 377 (Lieberman: Introduced February 15, 2005) To require
negotiation and appropriate action with respect to certain countries
that engage in currency manipulation.
!S. 295 (Schumer/Graham: Introduced February 3, 2005) To
authorize the imposition of a 27.5% tariff on goods imported from
China unless the President certifies that China has made a good faith
effort to revalue its currency to reflect its fair market value. Related
bills: S. 14 (Stabenow), H.R. 1575 (Myrick), S.Amdt. 309
(Schumer) to S. 600.
!H.Con.Res. 33 (Ryan: Introduced January 26, 2005) Urging the
President to take immediate steps to establish a plan to adopt the
recommendations of the United States-China Economic and Security


10 “Levin Says Bernanke Comments Justify CVD Action Against China,” Inside US-China
Trade, December 20, 2005; Doug Palmer, “U.S. Lawmakers Urge Action after China
Meeting,” Washington Post, December 15, 2006.

Review Commission in its 2004 Report to the Congress in order to
correct the current imbalance in the bilateral trade and economic
relationship between the United States and China.
Summary of Trade Data
What light do the trade data shed on the controversy over economic relations
with China? First, China has burst onto the U.S. trading scene in recent years. In

2003, the PRC surpassed Japan to become America’s third largest trading partner,


after Canada and Mexico,11 while the United States is the PRC’s second largest12
trading partner, after the expanded European Union (25 nations). In 2005,
according to PRC data, EU-China trade was valued at $217.3 billion compared to13
U.S.-China trade of $211.6 billion. China’s largest export market is the United
States followed by the EU-25 and Japan. Although China is a new player in
international trade, it is taking major shares of markets once dominated either by
other countries and U.S. domestic industries.
China is the second largest source of U.S. imports of merchandise ($243 billion
in 2005) after Canada ($287 billion). PRC imports surpassed those of Mexico in
2003 and of Japan in 2002. China now accounts for over 14% of U.S. imports
(2005), up from 12% in 2003, 8% in 1999, and 3% in 1990, although this share still
falls short of Japan’s 18% in the early 1990s.
Second, the data show that while U.S. trade with China is unbalanced, the same
is also true for Europe and Japan, although to a lesser extent. China runs a trade
surplus with the world’s three major economic centers. The U.S. bilateral deficit in
2005 ($201 billion), however, was 1.6 times larger than that of the EU-15 ($121.8
billion; the EU-25 deficit was $133 billion) and seven times that of Japan ($28.5
billion). (As reported by the United States, EU, and Japan.)
Third, the data show that the U.S. trade deficit with China is rising with the
overall U.S. trade deficit or growing at a slightly faster rate. Between 1996 and 1998,
China’s share of the overall U.S. merchandise trade deficit averaged 24%; between

1999 and 2001, China’s share was 18%, and between 2002 and 2004, 22%. In 2005,


the United States trade deficit with China constituted 26% of its global trade deficit.
Over the same period, the shares of the U.S. deficit in goods trade accounted for by
Japan, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the East Asian
newly industrialized countries (NICs) have decreased while the European Union’s
share has increased.


11 In 2005, U.S.-China trade ($285 billion) nearly reached the value of U.S.-Mexico trade
($290 billion). U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Statistics.
12 “EU Becomes China’s Biggest Trading Partner — USDA Attache,” Reuters News,
February 25, 2005.
13 PRC data. “China 2005 Trade Surplus Jumps to Record High,” Yahoo! Asia News,
January 11, 2006.

Fourth, the data show that U.S. exports to China are growing faster than U.S.
exports to other nations. U.S. exports to China (up 157% between 2000 and 2005)
have grown faster than U.S. exports to Canada (up 19.8% over the same period),
Mexico (7.5%), and Japan (-15%), although exports to China have grown from a low
base.14 In 2004, China replaced Germany and the United Kingdom to become the 4th
largest market for U.S. goods, moving up from 11th place in 1999. The United States
exported somewhat more to China ($41.8 billion) than it did to the United Kingdom
($38.6 billion) in 2005. According to Japanese, European, and Korean data, in 2005,
Japan was the largest overseas supplier of products to China with $79.9 billion in
exports. South Korea and the EU-15 and were the second and third largest exporters
to China in 2005 with $69.8 billion and $61.9 billion in exports, respectively.15
Fifth, the U.S. industrial sectors most at risk from import competition from
China are generally labor intensive, but China is moving quickly up the technology
ladder. The sectors in which the United States runs the largest trade deficits are
generally those that depend on abundant and low-cost labor, while the United States
accrues surpluses with China in some advanced technology items, such as aircraft,
as well as in some agricultural products. In China’s trade with the developed
countries, over two-thirds of its exports are “low-end manufactures” — appliances,
toys, furniture, footwear, apparel, and plastic goods — while 85% of its imports are
capital-intensive machinery and equipment, electronic goods, and natural resource-
related products.16
The United States has incurred large trade deficits with China in some high
value-added sectors as well. These sectors include office and data processing
machines, telecommunications and sound equipment, and electrical machinery and
appliances. In 2003, China became the third largest car market and the fourth largest
maker of automobiles with an output of 4.4 million vehicles. Production of cars
reached an estimated 5.5 million units in 2005, putting the PRC on par with Germany
in automobile production. However, China is not a major global importer or exporter
of cars and it remains heavily reliant upon foreign technology in this sector.17
Sixth, PRC data show much smaller bilateral trade deficits than those claimed
by its trading partners. PRC trade data differ from U.S. data primarily because of the
treatment of products from or to China (mainland) that pass through the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region (SAR). Other reasons include different accounting
systems and a lack of transparency in China’s data reporting. China counts Hong
Kong as the destination of its exports sent there, even goods that are then
transshipped to other markets. By contrast, the United States and many of China’s
other trading partners count Chinese exports that are transshipped through Hong


14 U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Commission.
15 Global Trade Atlas; “Economy Increasingly Dependent on Mainland Ties,” Nikkei
Weekly, June 14, 2004.
16 Jonathan Anderson, “China, Asia’s Paper Tiger?” The Asian Wall Street Journal, August

15, 2002.


17 “China to Become 2nd Largest Automaker by 2010,” Asia Times Online
[http://www.atimes.com], August 25, 2005; Xinhua News Agency, April 11, 2005.

Kong as products from China,18 not Hong Kong, including goods that contain Hong
Kong components or involve final assembly or processing in Hong Kong.
Furthermore, the United States counts Hong Kong as the destination of U.S. products
sent there, even those that are then re-exported to China. However, the PRC counts
many of such re-exported goods as U.S. exports to China. Some analysts argue that
the U.S. Department of Commerce overstates the U.S. trade deficit with China by as
much as 21% because of the way that it calculates entrepot trade through Hong
Kong.19
According to PRC data, China’s trade surplus with the United States in 2005
was $114 billion — not $201 billion as reported by the United States government.
In Japan’s case, both countries claim to be running trade deficits with each other.
According to PRC data, in 2005, China ran deficits with many of its major trading
partners, including Taiwan ($57.9 billion), South Korea ($41.7 billion), Japan ($16.3
billion), Malaysia ($9.5 billion), Saudi Arabia ($8.4 billion), Philippines ($8 billion),
Thailand ($6 billion), Australia ($5 billion), Brazil ($5 billion) Iran ($3.5 billion).20
Seventh, some trade specialists suggest that the surge of U.S. imports from
China do not pose an additional threat to U.S. industries and workers because it
merely represents a shift of investment and production from other Pacific Rim
countries. China’s share of U.S. imports has been rising while those of other Pacific
Rim nations have been falling or holding steady. In terms of absolute values, until
recently, U.S. imports from all major Pacific Rim countries continued to rise,
although at slower rates than imports from China. In 2005, U.S. imports from the
East Asian NICS — South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore — fell or
barely rose from the previous year.
Eighth, the rapid growth of the Chinese economy is adding to world demand for
basic commodities that is causing upward pressure on world prices. Particularly
significant are Chinese net imports of crude oil, copper, and soybeans.
China’s Trade Balance and Imports
As shown in Figure 1 and Appendix Table A1, according to PRC data, with
the exception of 1993, China has run a global trade surplus in goods each year since
1990. That surplus emerged at the beginning of the 1990s, entered into a deficit of
$11 billion in 1993 (when the government temporarily loosened controls on imports),
and reached a peak of $43.3 billion in 1998 before declining to $22.6 billion in 2001.
In 2005, China’s global trade surplus leapt to $102 billion (PRC data).


18 According to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, 55% of Hong Kong’s total
exports involve re-exports of Chinese (mainland) goods to markets other than China.
19 U.S.-China Business Council, “Understanding the U.S.-China Balance of Trade,” May

2003.


20 Global Trade Atlas.

Figure 1. China’s Exports, Imports, and Balance of Merchandise
Trade, 1983-2005 (PRC data)


$Billions
800
600
400Exports
200Balance
Imports
0
-200
83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 0 1 2 3 4 5
Year
Sources: PRC General Administration of Customs; Global Trade Atlas (PRC
dat a).
Between 1995 and 2001, China’s current account surplus (includes trade in
goods, services, and unilateral transfers such as remittances and government to
government payments) was smaller than its surplus in merchandise trade because of
a deficit in its services trade. Since 2002, the current account surplus has exceeded
the merchandise trade surplus due to large increases in services exports and
remittances. In 2005, the current account surplus was $160.8 billion compared to the
merchandise trade surplus of $102 billion. According to one projection, China’s
global current account balance will remain in surplus “for some years to come,” due
to continued high rates of foreign investment, strong exports, and excessive savings
in the non-state sector.21
As mentioned in the previous section, PRC data show much smaller bilateral
trade deficits than those claimed by its trading partners. In 2005, the United States
claimed it had incurred a $201 billion trade deficit with China, while China reported
a trade surplus of only $114 billion with the United States. Japan reported a $28.5
billion merchandise trade deficit with China, while China likewise claimed a $16.3
billion trade deficit with Japan. In 2005, the European Union’s trade deficit with
China ($121.8 billion) was only $63 billion according to Chinese data. In 2005, the
156 countries categorized as the “world” by the International Monetary Fund reported
an aggregate trade deficit with China of $342 billion. This is approximately 3.3
21 Global Insight, “China: Interim Forecast Analysis,” June 2006, and “China: Economic:
Current Situation: Highlights,” August 2006.

times the $102 billion global merchandise trade deficit reported by China for that
year.22 (See Appendix Tables A1-A5.)
Not only have the surge in imports from China affected U.S. markets, but China
has become a major importer of world commodities or primary goods. Table 1
shows China’s imports by major commodity. Imports of machinery (including
electrical) have soared from a total of $63.1 billion in 1999 to $271.3 billion in 2005.
Such an increase in demand for machinery, however, has only a moderate effect on
overall prices. China’s imports of mineral fuel, organic chemicals, iron and steel,
ores, copper, cotton, and wood, however, can affect world prices, particularly when
combined with rising world demand or tightening supplies. In 2004-2005, Chinese
demand for mineral fuel, in particular, including crude petroleum added to upward
world price pressures.


22 U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Commission; Global Trade Atlas;
International Monetary Fund, Direction of Trade Statistics Quarterly, June 2006.

Table 1. China’s Imports by Major Commodity, 1999-2005
(billions of dollars)
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Electrical Machinery35.350.755.973.3104.0142.1174.9
Machinery 27.8 34.4 40.6 52.2 71.6 91.5 96.4
Mineral Fuel, Oil, etc.8.920.717.519.329.348.064.2
Optics, Medical. Instr.5.07.39.813.525.140.149.9
Plastic 11.6 14.5 15.3 17.4 21.0 28.0 33.3
Organic Chemicals5.58.39.011.216.023.828.0
Iron and Steel7.29.610.913.222.223.626.2
Ores, Slag, Ash2.23.14.24.37.217.325.9
Copper & Articles Thereof3.14.74.95.77.210.512.9
Vehicles, Not Railway2.43.64.56.511.812.912.2
Misc. Grain, Seeds, Fruit1.63.13.32.85.77.38.1
Cotton and Yarn, Fabric2.42.82.93.34.76.97.0
Aircraft, Spacecraft3.22.24.44.14.54.96.6
Paper, Paperboard1.62.62.72.93.95.26.3
Misc. Chemical Products2.22.52.63.84.95.16.0
Wood, Articles of Wood2.93.73.54.14.65.25.7
Source: Global Trade Atlas using Chinese data.
China and the Asia Pacific Region
While China is gaining manufacturing prowess and its trade surplus with the
United States is spiraling, the country is purchasing heavily from neighboring trading
partners. In 2004, China’s imports rose by 35%, including machinery, raw materials,
and components for manufacturing, although this growth in imports slowed to 17%
in 2005.23 In addition, the bulk of China’s exports are manufactured under foreign
brand names, and over half of China’s exports are produced by foreign-owned
companies. According to PRC official estimates, 70% of PRC exports to the United
States contain foreign components, particularly from Taiwan, South Korea, and
Singapore. 24
China (not including Hong Kong) has become the largest trading partner of
Taiwan and the second largest trading partner of Japan. The PRC has become South


23 Robert J. Samuelson, “The World’s Powerhouse,” Newsweek, May 31, 2004.
24 Taiwan’s major exports to China include telecommunications products, computers, plastic
products, steel, man-made fibers, industrial-use textiles, organic chemical products, optical
and photo-taking instruments and parts, copper products, and polyester. Hong Kong Trade
Development Council.

Korea’s largest foreign investment destination and largest export market. According
to Taiwanese and Korean data, in 2005, Taiwan’s estimated trade surplus with China
was $31.9 billion, while South Korea’s surplus was $31.2 billion.25
China has become a huge buyer of raw materials, agricultural commodities,
industrial machinery, and electronic components from Southeast Asia, as well as an
important source of foreign investment and second largest source of foreign tourists
in the region.26 China’s top exports to Southeast Asia include machinery, electronic
goods, iron and steel, mineral fuels, textiles and apparel, and optical, photographic,
and medical equipment. Despite worries about economic competition, in 2004,
ASEAN, which ran a trade surplus of $20 billion with China that year (PRC data),27
agreed to establish a free trade zone with China which would be implemented
gradually over five years.28 In the view of many of its major trading partners in Asia,
China’s economic growth and open trade policies have presented both competitive
challenges and economic opportunities. However, according to some analysts,
China’s appetite for imports is slowing, while its export production shows little sign
of abating.29 Although ASEAN accumulated a trade surplus with China again in

2005 ($19.5 billion, according to PRC data), China’s exports to ASEAN grew 50%


faster than its imports from Southeast Asia.


25 When Hong Kong is included, China is the largest trading partner of both Taiwan and
Japan. Directorate General of Customs, Ministry of Finance, Republic of China; Korean
International Trade Association; Global Trade Atlas.
26 Sadanand Dhume, “Buying Fast into Southeast Asia,” Far Eastern Economic Review,
March 28, 2002.
27 Global Trade Atlas
28 “China-ASEAN Trade Surges over 40 Percent in 2003,” Thai News Service, February 11,

2004.


29 Keith Bradsher and David Barboza, “As Exports Boom, China Risks Global Backlash,”
International Herald Tribune, April 9, 2005.

Figure 2. Shares of Total U.S. Imports by Country
and Country Group, 1990 and 2005


Some trade specialists suggest that the surge of U.S. imports from China do not
pose an additional threat to U.S. industries and workers because it merely represents
a shift of investment and production from other Pacific Rim countries. In other
words, expanding imports from China have been offset by declining imports from
other East Asian or Pacific Rim countries.30 These countries include those at a
similar level of development which are competing directly with China, such as
Malaysia and Thailand, and more industrialized countries or special administrative
regions that have moved their lower-end production to the PRC, such as Macao,
Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan. In sectors such as footwear, handbags,
apparel, furniture, and building and lighting fixtures, U.S. imports from China have
been displacing those from Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and Mexico and
reducing imports those from other developing Asian nations.
As shown in Figure 2, China’s share of U.S. imports grew from 3% in 1990 to

14% in 2005 (out of total U.S. imports of $491 billion and $1.66 trillion,3132


respectively), while the rest of East Asia’s share (Japan, NICS, and ASEAN) fell
from 36% to 19%. Mexico’s share of U.S. imports grew from 6% in 1990 to 11.6%
in 2002. It fell to 10.6% in 2004 and further to 10.1% in 2005.
30 Council of Economic Advisors, Economic Report of the President, February 2004.
31 U.S. Imports for Consumption, U.S. International Trade Commission.
32 NICS — Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea (Singapore is counted in ASEAN).

China’s Trade with the United States, Europe, and
Japan
As shown in Figure 3 and Appendix Table A2, by either Chinese or U.S. data,
China runs a trade surplus with the United States. Although Chinese figures show
it at only $114 billion in 2005, the United States reports it to be $201 billion.
According to PRC data, China has run a trade surplus with the United States since
1993. According to U.S. data, the United States has incurred trade deficits with
China since 1983.
Figure 3. U.S. Exports, Imports, and Balance of
Trade with China, 1983-2005


300 $Billions
200Imports(U.S. figures)
Exports
100(U.S. figures)
0
-100
BalanceBalance
-200(U.S. figures)(PRC data)
-300 -201
83848586878889909192939495969798990123 45
Sources: U.S. Department of CommerceIMF. Direction of Trade Statistics YearbookYear
Global Trade Atlas
As is the case with the United States, Japan has run a trade deficit with China
since the 1980s (according to Japanese data). As shown in Figure 4 and in
Appendix Table A3, Japan’s balance of trade with China dropped from a surplus of
$6 billion in 1985 to a deficit of nearly $6 billion in 1990. Japan’s trade deficit with
China reached a peak of $26.5 billion in 2001, which was surpassed in 2005 ($28.5
billion). Japan’s exports to China have grown dramatically in the past few years, its
largest exports to the PRC being electronics, general machinery, iron and steel,
optical, photographic, and medical equipment, and organic chemicals.33
33 Global Trade Atlas.

Figure 4. Japan’s Merchandise Imports, Exports,
and Balance of Trade with China, 1983-2005


120 $Billions
100
80 Imports(Japan's Data)
60 Exports
40(Japan's Data) Balance
20(China's Data)
0
-20 Balance
-40(Japan's Data)
838485868788899091929394959697989901 2345
Year
Sources: IMF. Direction of Trade Statistics Quarterly Global Trade Atlas
As shown in Figure 5 and Appendix Table A4, according to EU data, the
European Union incurred a trade deficit with China of $947 million in 1988, which
grew to $121.8 billion in 2005. According to Chinese figures, however, the EU trade
deficit with China began in the late 1990s and grew to $63 billion in 2005.
Compared to the world’s two other major economic centers, the U.S. trade
deficit with China at $201 billion in 2005 was the largest, followed by the EU-15
deficit with China at $121.8 billion and Japan at $28.5 billion. Within the EU,
according to trading partner 2005 data, Germany’s trade deficit with China was $23
billion, the U.K.’s was $18.8 billion, and France’s was $9.9 billion. As shown in
Appendix Table A5, however, China’s trade statistics indicate smaller European
trade deficits or even surpluses.

Figure 5. European Union Merchandise Imports,
Exports, and Balance of Trade with China, 1983-2005


200 $Billions
150 Imports(EU/EEC Data)
100 Exports
50(EU/EEC Data)
0
-50 Balance
(China's Data)
-100 Balance
(EU/EEC Data)
-150
83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 0 1 2 3 4 5
Note: For 1980-88, data are for the EEC12 nations. After 1988, data are for the EU 15.Year
Sources: IMF. Direction of Trade Statistics QuarterlyGlobal Trade Atlas
U.S. Merchandise Trade Balances with Major
Trading Partners
The U.S. trade deficit with China is notable for not only its size but also the
large imbalance between imports from and exports to China. In 2005, Japan
exported 2.5 times more to the United States than it imported, while Canada and
Mexico exported 1.3 times and 1.4 times more, respectively, than they imported.
China, by comparison, exported 5.8 times more to the U.S. market in 2005 than it
imported from the United States. This indicates that the Chinese market has been
vastly underdeveloped as a destination for U.S. exports.

Figure 6. U.S. Merchandise Trade Balances with Selected
Countries in 2005


U.S. Trade with China by Sector
U.S. Exports to China
As shown in Table 2, among the top twenty U.S. exports to China in 2005, the
top five by dollar value were electrical machinery, transport equipment, metalliferous
ores, oil seeds and fruits, and general industrial machinery. Exports of metalliferous
ores and oil seeds and fruits have grown by over 12 times and 6 times, respectively,
since 1999, suggesting that China’s appetite for raw materials and agricultural
commodities has grown relative to that for general industrial machinery and office
machines. Among the top 20 U.S. export items to China, textile fibers have
experienced the largest growth in the past five years (969%). China’s top ten imports
from the world in 2005 were: electrical machinery, machinery, mineral fuels, optical
and medical instruments, plastics, organic chemicals, iron and steel, iron ores, copper
articles, and vehicles.

Table 2. Top Twenty U.S. Exports to China, 1997-2005
(millions of dollars)
Category 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Electrical Mach.7411,0131,3801,7472,1092,6573,7224,6315,170
Transport Equip.2,1273,6042,3251,6952,4713,4432,4952,0254,479
Metalliferous Ores1801952856189199561,5252,1983,482
Oil Seeds and Fruits4192883541,0201,0148902,8322,3322,256
Gen. Ind. Mach./Equip.7666746858381,0801,1451,4041,9122,067
Office Machines3438788421,4981,6021,1931,2741,3961,835
Plastics in Prim. Forms3403203945456287409311,3421,793
Prof. & Scientific Instr.4295275385838869311,1671,5681,710
Textile Fibers682199981541602789091,6381,657
Organic Chemicals2082123024733735541,0541,5421,457
Specialized Industrial7705384817588191,1241,2181,7441,325
Machinery
Telecom, Sound6446555738171,2041,1109781,1041,299
Recording Equip.
Power Gen. Equip.6035425053125074626409651,042
Pulp and Waste Paper148156193276330414600753992
Road Vehicles348140192185223272506624903
Nonferrous Metals172120140289144161315333872
Misc. Manufactures 297247242384440509515647750
Hides, Furskins11212696237402397457521629
Chemical Materials124143177247285312403582604
Metalworking Mach.173190162211265367304618547
Note: Ranked by data for 2005.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Commission.
U.S. Imports from China
As shown in Figure 7 and Table 3, among the top twenty U.S. imports from
China in 2005 by dollar amount, the top six were office machines and automatic data
processing machines, telecommunications and sound equipment, miscellaneous
manufactured articles, apparel and accessories, electrical machinery, and furniture
and bedding. The value of U.S.-imports of PRC office and data processing machines
alone ($42.2 billion) exceeded total U.S. exports to China in 2005 ($41.8 billion).
While U.S. imports in all these categories have increased, the most dramatic
percentage changes have been not in traditional labor-intensive industries but in
sectors that encompass advanced technology, such as office and data processing



machines (up 284% between 2000 and 2005), telecommunications and sound
equipment (245%), and general industrial machinery (234%).
Figure 7. Top Six Imports from China by Industry, 1994-2005


200$Billions
150
y

100 ac hi n er


al M
i p .par e ll e ct ri c
Eq uA pE
om.

50 MachinesTelec


Of f ic e
Fur ni t ure
Miscell. Manufactures
0
94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 1 2 3 4 5
Year
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

CRS-20
Table 3. Top Twenty U.S. Imports from China, 1997-2005
(millions of dollars)
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
5,019 6,329 8,239 10,980 10,763 15,230 23,646 35,620 42,242
lecom and Sound Equip.5,1266,4057,3829,81210,11814,14416,93724,38834,249
les 14,155 15,872 17,291 19,445 19,763 23,494 26,287 29,505 33,573
7,406 7,133 7,351 8,473 8,866 9,538 11,381 13,607 19,931
, Parts, and Appliances4,8775,7077,0229,0379,11010,21711,87515,27018,102
1,545 2,183 3,261 4,476 5,018 6,954 8,749 10,910 13,187
7,354 8,016 8,438 9,206 9,758 10,241 10,546 11,350 12,721
1,816 2,238 2,878 3,651 4,119 5,219 6,302 8,257 10,110
iki/CRS-RL31403ndustrial Machinery1,1801,4491,8332,0872,4143,25941,2135,5287,007
g/wxtile Yarn, Fabrics1,3691,4321,5831,8161,8542,5013,3654,2535,605
s.oravel Goods, Handbags1,9171,9421,9742,2142,1712,7413,3194,0444,658
leake hicles 574 731 923 1,800 1,406 1,796 2,373 3,265 4,170
://wikiilding Fixtures/Fittings1,1941,4442,0732,5552,3772,9623,2023,7004,143
httpetallic Mineral Manufactures1,2161,4411,6812,0592,1652,4312,6242,9533,510
Scientific Instruments6347158371,0251,1771,3011,6662,1802,490
314 398 349 623 439 441 483 1,609 2,354
raphic Optical Equip, Watches, Clocks1,2111,4001,6002,0161,9351,8422,0302,2482,176
Valued Items2824255867597849571,2291,6522,068
and Wood (Non-Furniture)3354455687107929901,1621,6122,006
anic Chemicals3353373924674885647721,0711,600
Machinery 314 354 408 505 553 694 842 1,112 1,573
310 401 471 611 627 792 1,022 1,263 1,535
Ranked by data for 2005.
U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Commission.



Balance of Trade by Sector
In modern economies, trade by sector generally follows two patterns. The first
is based on traditional comparative advantage in which one country trades with
another in those products in which it has an abundance of resources or in which it is
comparatively productive. The United States economy is characterized by high
technology, extensive farmland with high agricultural yields, expensive labor, and
deep capital. As such, the United States would be expected to be strong in exports
of high-technology goods, food and grains, and capital intensive products. The
Chinese economy, on the other hand, is characterized by abundant and cheap labor,
low capital intensity, and a mix of low, medium and high technology both in
manufacturing and agriculture. As such, China would be expected to be strong in
exports of not only labor-intensive manufactures, such as textiles and apparel, shoes,
toys, and light manufactures, but also items produced under the tutelage of foreign
companies that have invested in Chinese factories. These could include household
appliances, electronics, tools, or automobile parts. One would expect trade that is
conducted on the basis of comparative advantage to be unbalanced on a sector-by-
sector basis. The United States, for example, would run a surplus with China in
aircraft but a deficit in apparel.
The second trade pattern occurs among industrialized countries and is called
intra-industry or trade within industrial sectors. This is typical of trade among North
America, the European Union, and industrialized nations of Asia (e.g., Japan, South
Korea, and Taiwan). The products traded usually carry brand names, are
differentiated, and may be protected by intellectual property rights. For example, the
United States both imports and exports items such as automobiles, machinery,
electronic devices, prepared food, and pharmaceuticals. A considerable share of U.S.
intra-industry trade is carried out within a multinational corporation (e.g., between
Ford Motors and one of its related companies, such as Mazda in Japan, Jaguar in the
United Kingdom, or with other subsidiaries abroad). A large deficit in an intra-
industry trading sector in which the United States is competitive may indicate that the
trading partner country is using import barriers to tip the trade balance in its favor.
Table 4 shows the U.S. balance of trade with China by major sector. Most of
the sectors in which the United States runs the largest trade deficits with China are,
as expected, those that depend on mostly abundant and low-cost labor. These include
toys and sports equipment, furniture and bedding, footwear, textiles and apparel, and
leather goods. Among the large deficit sectors, however, are machinery and
mechanical appliances and electrical machinery, which reflect China’s foreign
investment and growing technological sophistication. In plastic articles, optical and
medical instruments, books and magazines (indicated by shading in the table), the
United States runs a surplus in its balance of trade with the world but a deficit with
China.



Table 4. U.S. Balance of Trade with China by Sector, 2003-2005
(millions of dollars)
200320042005
Total China-123,960161,977201,625
Major U.S. Deficit Sectors (HTS
Categories)
Machinery/Mechanical Appliances-25,262-37,628-46,375
Electrical Machinery-24,007-34,113-46,249
Toys and Sports Equipment-16,070-17,163-19,074
Furniture and Bedding-11,739-14,339-16,942
Footwear -10,528 -11,318 -12,679
Woven Apparel-5,484-6,606-10,220
Knit Apparel-3,192-4,092-6,553
Leather Art; Saddlery; Bags-5,040-5,708-6,247
Articles of Iron and Steel-3,086-4,376-5,886
Plastic Articles-3,032-3,402-4,380
Misc. Textile Articles-2,353-3,052-3,953
Vehicles, Not Railway-1,947-2,729-3,268
Misc. Art of Base Metal-1,414-1,809-2,243
Precious Stones and Metals, Pearls-1,391-1,714-2,065
Wood and Articles of Wood-1,019-1,454-1,847
Tools, Cutlery, of Base Metals-1,373-1,554-1,774
Optical, Medical Instruments-1,650-1,704-1,729
Rubber and Rubber Articles-698-1,036-1,551
Miscellaneous Manufactures-1,023-1,203-1,404
Ceramic Products-1,112-1,203-1,316
Artificial Flowers, Feathers-1,091-1,109-1,145
Books, Newspapers, Manuscripts-653-892-1,130
Major U.S. Surplus Sectors (HTS
Categories)
Aircraft, Spacecraft2,3881,8704,296
Misc. Grain, Seed, Fruit2,7872,2602,165
Cotton and Cotton Fabrics5871,2601,215
Wood pulp, Etc.599752990
Hides and Skins477527624
Copper and Articles Thereof436344545
Ores34105373
Iron and Steel87945336
Note: Categories in italics are those in which the United States runs a trade surplus with the world
but a trade deficit with China. Classification is by Harmonized System tariff codes at the 2-digit level.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Commission.



The sectors in which the United States runs a trade surplus with China mirror
U.S. competitive advantages and include aircraft, agricultural products, and cotton
fabrics. In 2005, U.S. trade surpluses with China in aircraft, copper, iron ores, and
iron and steel rose dramatically.
U.S. Imports From China — Sector Charts and Data
This section presents charts and data on U.S. imports from China by selected
industrial sectors. The charts show imports from China as compared with imports
from other major exporting countries or groups of countries. These include the
European Union (fifteen original countries), the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN, which includes, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the
Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar [Burma]), Taiwan, Mexico, South
Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Canada.
The data in this section are presented according to two-digit standard
international trade classification (SITC) codes as reported by the U.S. Department of
Commerce. The industries selected are those in which the share of imports from
China has risen to a significant level or trade policy has played a significant role (e.g.
iron and steel and automobiles) even though U.S. imports from China in those
industries might be relatively small.
Iron and Steel. In iron and steel products, China is becoming a major
exporter to the United States. In 2005, China was the fourth largest foreign supplier
of iron and steel products to the United States (surpassing Russia, South Korea,
Germany, and Japan), up from seventh place in 2003. In 2005, China also bought
$445 million worth of iron and steel products from the United States, making it the
third largest market for U.S. exports of iron and steel. In 2005, the United States
incurred a trade deficit with China in the SITC 67 category (iron and steel), which
includes semi-finished products, tubes and pipes, iron and steel rods, and ferroalloys.
However, the United States attained a trade surplus with China in the HTS 72
category (iron and steel), which includes more items in “primary form.”



Figure 8. U.S. Imports of Iron and Steel Products (SITC 67) by
Country and Group, 1990-2005


Table 5. U.S. Imports of Iron and Steel Products (SITC 67) from
Selected Countries and Country Groups, 1991, 2000-2005
(millions of dollars)
1990 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
EU15 3,303 3,637 3,041 2,621 4,697 5,828
Canada 1,504 2,437 2,981 2,885 3,979 4,699
Mexico 357 1,021 1,340 1,334 2,530 2,738
China 71 439 441 490 1,610 2,340
J a pan 2,097 1,213 991 799 1,072 1,468
K orea 574 815 687 505 1,031 1,374
T a iwan 154 346 290 219 803 735
ASEAN 6 5 191 193 161 395 406
Hong Kong2232310
Rest of World1,6913,6574,4693,92910,2049,034
World 9,818 13,758 14,436 12,945 26,324 28,632
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

Specialized Industrial Machinery. China is becoming an important
supplier of specialized industrial machinery, which includes machine tools and
sewing machines, but lags behind the European Union, Japan, and Canada and
competes with other newly industrialized countries such as Mexico, South Korea,
and Taiwan. China accounted for only 4.5% of U.S. imports in this category in 2005.
Figure 9. U.S. Imports of Specialized Industrial Machinery (SITC

72) by Country and Group, 1990-2005


Table 6. U.S. Imports of Specialized Industrial Machinery
(SITC 72) from Selected Countries and Country Groups,
1990, 2001-2005
(millions of dollars)
1990 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
EU15 6,786 9,511 8,463 9,586 11,656 13,419
J a pan 3,340 4,479 4,217 4,445 6,105 7,019
Canada 1,384 2,297 2,294 2,556 3,010 3,482
China 23 331 485 791 1,069 1,415
Mexico 139 537 490 578 862 1,241
K orea 69 305 325 467 746 1,159
T a iwan 313 626 638 623 730 684
ASEAN 1 3 101 113 145 250 287
Hong Kong181217151817
Rest of World8681,3141,3731,6142,0492,464
World 12,953 19,513 18,415 20,820 26,495 31,187
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

Office Machines and Computers. In U.S. imports of office machines and
automatic data processing machines (including television sets, computers and
computer hardware), China has quickly become the largest supplier, surpassing
ASEAN. Imports of such products from China rose by over 75% between 2003 and
2005 and now account for 42% of U.S. imports in this category. Office machines
and computers from other East Asian countries — Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea
— have been leveling off or decreasing, although many of their high tech
manufacturers have built plants in China and export from there. The top exporters
of office machines and data processing machines to the United States in 2005 were
China, Malaysia, Japan, Mexico, and Singapore.
Figure 10. U.S. Imports of Office Machines and
Automatic Data Processing Machines (SITC 75) by
Country and Group, 1990-2005


120 $B illions
100Rest of World
EU 15
80 ASEAN
TaiwanMe x i c o
60S. Korea
J apan
40
20China 42%
Canada
90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 123450
Year
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Table 7. U.S. Imports of Office Machines and Automatic Data
Processing Machines (SITC 75) from Selected Countries and
Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005
(millions of dollars)
1990 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
China 117 10,761 15,230 23,612 35,579 42,169
ASEAN 5,150 20,676 22,043 21,571 22,460 23,473
J a pan 11,007 11,055 9,464 8,978 9,282 8,936
Mexico 706 10,377 8,828 7,516 7,726 7,075
T a iwan 3,084 8,751 8,659 6,996 6,132 4,879
EU15 2,461 4,676 4,505 4,815 4,810 4,516
K orea 1,347 4,657 4,632 3,779 3,885 3,104
Canada 1,893 2,942 1,825 1,644 1,865 1,966
Hong Kong809276392328304210
Rest of World2971,7291,3422,9471,4922,015
World 26,871 75,900 76,920 80,542 93,535 98,343
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

Telecommunications and Sound Equipment. China’s share of U.S.
imports of telecommunications and sound equipment has risen to 33%. Such imports
from China rose from $1.1 billion in 1990 to $34 billion in 2005. Imports of these
products from elsewhere in Asia, particularly from ASEAN countries, have also been
rising rapidly. The largest suppliers of telecommunications and sound equipment to
the United States in 2005 were China, Mexico, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea.
Figure 11. Imports of Telecommunications and Sound
Equipment (SITC 76) by Country and Group, 1990-2005


Table 8. U.S. Imports of Telecommunications and Sound
Equipment (SITC 76) from Selected Countries and Country
Groups, 1990, 2001-2005
(millions of dollars)
1990 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
China 1,142 10,062 14,144 16,723 24,311 34,140
Mexico 2,302 15,765 14,483 14,239 17,475 18,840
ASEAN 3,122 8,548 9,514 10,218 11,779 17,114
K orea 1,632 6,001 6,353 7,955 10,942 8,214
J a pan 9,061 8,577 8,473 8,889 9,967 9,707
EU15 890 3,883 4,559 4,051 3,707 4,382
Canada 972 4,533 3,543 3,053 3,435 4,103
T a iwan 1,426 2,361 2,137 2,655 3,261 4,125
Hong Kong478224357522647672
Rest of World3222,4462,2642,3631,9412,637
World 21,347 62,400 65,827 70,668 87,465 103,934
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

Electrical Machinery and Parts. U.S. imports of electrical machinery and
parts (including semi-conductors) have been growing dramatically from nearly all
major suppliers. At 18% of such imports in 2005, China has become a significant
supplier — surpassing the EU, Japan, and ASEAN. Mexico remains the leading
foreign supplier.
Figure 12. U.S. Imports of Electrical Machinery and Parts
(SITC 77) by Country and Group, 1990-2005


120 $B illions
100Rest of
World
80 EU15
ASEAN
60 Taiwan
Mexi co
40S. Korea
Japan
20 H.Kong
China
18%
0 Canada
90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 1 2 3 4 5
Y ear
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Table 9. U.S. Imports of Electrical Machinery and Parts
(SITC 77) from Selected Countries and Country Groups,
1990, 2001-2005
(millions of dollars)
1990 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Mexico 4,406 16,290 16,930 17,547 19,120 20,671
China 652 9,047 10,217 11,808 15,197 17,980
EU15 4,898 11,009 10,881 11,462 12,314 13,360
ASEAN 4,644 13,748 12,427 11,308 11,557 11,736
J a pan 8,658 11,941 9,406 8,713 10,251 10,665
Canada 3,323 5,871 5,025 4,920 5,619 6,210
T a iwan 2,180 5,878 5,296 5,160 6,170 6,077
K orea 2,504 5,194 5,150 5,105 5,992 5,437
Hong Kong7921,050881585637593
Rest of World1,0804,1124,3594,9165,4145,560
World 33,137 84,140 80,572 81,524 92,271 98,289
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

Road Motor Vehicles. China is the world’s third largest auto market and
fourth largest auto producer. China’s automobile sector has absorbed heavy foreign
investment — roughly 70% of the country’s car market is held by Chinese-foreign
joint ventures such as Shanghai General Motors (GM), Shanghai Volkswagen, and34
First Auto Works-Toyota — and is aimed primarily at Chinese buyers. China
became a net exporter of vehicles for the first time in 2005, with exports of 172,800
vehicles and imports of 161,900 units. Most of China’s vehicle exports are sold in
Middle Eastern, North African, and South American countries. In addition, China
has become a major supplier of motorcycles to Southeast Asia. Chinese auto makers
Geely and Chery reportedly have plans to begin exporting passenger cars to the35
United States in 2007 or 2008.
Currently, China is not a significant player in the U.S. car market. U.S. road
vehicle and related imports from China mainly consist of auto parts, bicycles and
motorcycles, and specialty vehicles such as golf carts and beach go-carts. China
has become an important supplier of auto parts to the United States, with $2 billion
in selected auto parts in 2005, but trails Canada ($11.8 billion), Japan ($8.8 billion),
Mexico ($7.7 billion), and Germany ($2.3 billion). China exported $290 million
worth of motorcycles to the United States in 2005, accounting for 8% of U.S.
motorcycle imports compared to Japan’s 73%.
China is expected to continue to lower tariffs on imported automobiles, to 25%
in 2006, pursuant to China’s WTO accession agreement, although many non-tariff
barriers reportedly remain.36


34 In 2005, GM sold more than 650,000 vehicles in China compared to Volkswagen, with
sales of 500,000 cars, and Toyota, with 179,000 units. “Toyota in China: Full Speed
Ahead,” BusinessWeek Online, March 9, 2006.
35 “Chinese Automaker Geely Sets Sights on Exports to U.S.” Associated Press Newswires,
January 11, 2006.
36 “MOC: Tariff Cut to Put Little Effect on Imported Car Price next Year,” Xinhua News
Agency, December 19, 2005.

Figure 13. U.S. Imports of Road Motor Vehicles (SITC 78) by
Country and Group, 1990-2005


250 $B illions
200Rest of World
EU15
150 Mexi co
S. Korea
100 Japan
China
50 2%
Canada
0
90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 1 2 3 4 5
Y ear
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Table 10. U.S. Imports of Road Motor Vehicles (SITC 78) from
Selected Countries and Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005
(millions of dollars)
1990 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Canada 26,094 50,477 52,050 52,448 58,832 61,332
J a pan 29,839 41,429 45,449 43,178 45,033 48,867
EU15 12,270 28,022 31,043 35,975 37,813 39,958
Mexico 4,084 26,246 26,181 25,222 26,114 26,744
K orea 1,275 6,778 7,382 8,503 10,773 10,187
China 59 1,404 1,796 2,369 3,267 4,198
T a iwan 871 1,124 1,239 1,387 1,522 1,804
ASEAN 8 8 247 280 297 359 432
Hong Kong71314384339
Rest of World9302,8923,3384,2714,4123,853
World 75,517 158,632 168,772 173,688 188,168 197,414
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Building and Lighting Products. In U.S. imports of prefabricated
buildings, sanitary, plumbing, heating and lighting fixtures and fittings, China has
surged to become a main factor. The PRC accounted for over half such imports in

2005, although total imports of such products from China amounted to only $4th


billion, making it the 13 largest U.S. import from China.

Figure 14. U.S. Imports of Building and Lighting Products
(SITC 81) by Country and Group, 1990-2005


8$BillionsRest of
World
EU15ASEAN
6 Taiwan
Mexi co
Japan
H Kong
4
China
2 54%
0 Canada
90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 1 2 3 4 5
Y ear
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Table 11. U.S. Imports of Prefabricated Buildings, Sanitary,
Plumbing, Heating and Lighting Fixtures and Fittings (SITC 81)
from Selected Countries and Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005
(millions of dollars)
1990 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
China 94 2,383 2,962 3,199 3,697 4,146
Mexico 117 903 961 1,036 1,132 1,300
Canada 80 572 598 617 693 762
EU15 205 329 319 356 428 497
T a iwan 495 156 152 151 154 142
ASEAN 2 7 116 106 115 121 137
Hong Kong477077807359
Japn 2859364149 52
Korea 6132364237 37
Rest of World78275319362422464
World 1,232 4,895 5,566 5,999 6,806 7,596
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

Furniture. In U.S. imports of furniture and related parts, China has become
a dominant supplier. The PRC accounted for over 43% of U.S. furniture imports in
2005. U.S. imports of furniture from China now exceed the combined U.S. imports
from Canada and Mexico, which were the leading foreign suppliers of furniture until
the late 1990s. In 2004, the Bush Administration imposed anti-dumping penalties
on approximately 500 furniture manufacturers in China.
Figure 15. U.S. Imports of Furniture and Parts (SITC 82) by
Country and Group, 1990-2005


35 $Billions
30Rest of World
EU15
25 ASEAN
Taiwan
20 Me xi c o
15
China
10 43%
5
Canada
0
90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 1 2 3 4 5
Year
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Table 12. U.S. Imports of Furniture and Parts (SITC 82) from
Selected Countries and Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005
(millions of dollars)
1990 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
China 145 5,017 6,954 8,742 10,905 13,179
Canada 1,209 4,411 4,423 4,551 5,007 5,126
Mexico 578 3,212 3,824 4,275 4,316 4,297
ASEAN 331 1,492 1,753 1,886 2,303 2,800
EU15 1,174 2,309 2,321 2,489 2,491 2,371
T a iwan 1,009 765 794 748 753 716
J a pan 162 141 107 135 181 210
Korea 67757569 681
Hong Kong2998901099782
Rest of World2991,0811,2191,2891,5571,691
World 5,003 18,601 21,560 24,293 27,678 30,583
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

Travel Goods and Handbags. China has become the principal supplier of
imported travel goods, handbags, and similar items, accounting for nearly 75% of
U.S. imports of such merchandise in 2005. The EU has become an important
supplier while China appears to have taken market shares from South Korea, Taiwan,st
and, more recently, ASEAN. This U.S. import category is ranked only 42 in total
customs value.
Figure 16. Imports of Travel Goods, Handbags, and
Similar Products (SITC 83) by Country and Group, 1990-

2005


7 $Billions
6Rest of World
EU15
5 ASEAN
Taiwan
4 Mexic o
S. Korea
3 H. Kong
2
China 75%
1
90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 1 2 3 4 50
Year
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Table 13. U.S. Imports of Travel Goods, Handbags, (SITC 83)
from Selected Countries and Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005
(millions of dollars)
1990 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
China 692 2,211 2,741 3,136 3,936 4,504
EU15 270 463 476 602 715 790
ASEAN 114 836 538 372 340 275
Hong Kong504652859592
Mexico 46 104 87 69 63 54
Canada 17 39 35 37 35 36
T a iwan 406 129 52 79 47 32
K orea 446 106 56 39 31 21
Japn97781212
Rest of World121384292233248262
World 2,171 4,325 4,336 4,660 5,522 6,078
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

Apparel and Clothing. U.S. imports of apparel and clothing accessories
from China have been rising, reaching 26% of U.S. imports in 2005. According to
some estimates, more than 80% of Chinese apparel exports are produced by joint
ventures, many of them involving East Asian investment.37 Global quotas on
imported textiles and apparel expired on January 1, 2005, pursuant to the Multi-Fiber
Agreement, resulting in a surge in U.S. garment imports from China, which increased
by 46% in 2005. Other nations with large gains in the U.S. apparel market were
India (up 33%), Indonesia (20%) Bangladesh (20%), and Cambodia (20%).
Although wages for low skill labor in China reportedly are rising relative to other
developing countries, China’s clothing manufacturers retain competitive advantages
such as high labor productivity, “vertical integration” — the ability to produce all
manufacturing inputs domestically — and developed infrastructure. In November
2005, the United States and the PRC signed a three-year agreement on textiles trade
which imposes quotas on 21 types of Chinese textiles and clothing but which allows
for a progressive increase in U.S. imports of apparel products from China through

2008.


Figure 17. U.S. Imports of Apparel and Clothing Accessories
(SITC 84) by Country and Group, 1990-2005


80 $B illions
60Rest of World
EU15
40 ASEAN
Taiwan
Mexi co
S. KoreaH.Kong
20
China
26%
0 Canada
90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 1234 5
Y ear
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
37 Jiang Jingjin, “China Not the Only Beneficiary,” China Daily (China Business Weekly),
April 5, 2004.

Table 14. U.S. Imports of Apparel and Clothing Accessories
(SITC 84) from Selected Countries and Country Groups,
1990, 2001-2005
(millions of dollars)
1990 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
China 3,422 8,852 9,538 11,341 13,567 19,888
ASEAN 3,404 9,581 10,020 11,773 12,157 13,043
Mexico 709 8,127 7,731 7,199 6,943 6,321
Hong Kong3,9744,2823,9283,7603,9193,553
EU15 1,790 2,584 2,473 2,564 2,586 2,444
Canada 247 1,764 1,799 1,740 1,692 1,468
K orea 3,244 2,354 2,206 1,925 1,936 1,253
T a iwan 2,475 1,907 1,664 1,690 1,626 1,203
J a pan 158 170 205 252 325 121
Rest of World5,89124,16824,15025,90727,43826,983
World 25,314 63,789 63,714 68,060 72,189 76,277
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Footwear. U.S. imports of footwear from China surged during the 1990s.
From $1.5 billion in 1990, they rose to over $10 billion in 2002 or two-thirds of all
such imports. China has largely replaced South Korea and Taiwan as the main
source of Asian-produced footwear in the United States. Other large suppliers are
Italy, Brazil, and Vietnam.
Figure 18. U.S. Imports of Footwear (SITC 85) by
Country and Group, 1990-2005


20 $Billions
Rest of World
15 EU15
ASEAN
Mexic o
10
Taiwan
5S. KoreaChina
70%
90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 1 2 3 4 50
Ye a r
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

Table 15. U.S. Imports of Footwear (SITC 85) from Selected
Countries and Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005
(millions of dollars)
1990 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
China 1,475 9,766 10,241 10,546 11,347 12,654
EU15 1,523 1,950 1,826 1,763 1,722 1,558
ASEAN 579 1,185 1,237 1,184 1,259 1,525
Mexico 165 311 278 275 242 247
Canada 53 78 67 64 76 93
T a iwan 1,528 75 73 73 80 69
Hong Kong1098167608652
K orea 2,558 103 65 50 51 45
Japn522223
Rest of World1,5431,6981,5231,5421,6321,588
World 9,538 15,249 15,379 15,559 16,497 17,834
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce



Professional, Scientific, and Controlling Instruments. China is a
minor supplier of U.S. imports of professional, scientific and controlling instruments,
supplying 8% of U.S. imports in this category in 2005. Over two-thirds of such
imports originate in the European Union, Mexico, and Japan.
Figure 19. U.S. Imports of Professional, Scientific, and
Controlling Instruments (SITC 87) by Country and Group, 1990-

2005


35 $B illions
30Rest of
World
25
20 EU15
15 ASEAN
Taiwan
10 Mexi co
Japan
5China
8%Canada
0
90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 2000 1234 5
Y ear
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
Table 16. U.S. Imports of Professional, Scientific and
Controlling Instruments and Apparatus (SITC 87) from Selected
Countries and Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005
(millions of dollars)
1990 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
EU15 2,310 6,887 6,543 7,744 10,225 10,802
Mexico 513 3,895 4,436 5,090 5,082 5,371
J a pan 1,494 3,561 2,902 3,177 4,016 3,887
China 74 1,172 1,301 1,660 2,176 2,483
Canada 527 1,793 1,575 1,406 1,611 1,833
ASEAN 152 1,027 1,037 1,139 1,448 1,571
T a iwan 176 372 393 450 458 472
K orea 89 152 156 153 177 230
Hong Kong825567706779
Rest of World6042,2872,4002,6753,1013,433
World 6,021 21,201 20,810 23,564 28,361 30,161
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

Photographic and Optical Equipment and Timepieces. China is a
rising supplier of photographic apparatus, equipment and supplies and optical goods
as well as watches and clocks. In 2005, China accounted for 17.5% of U.S. imports
of such products. Japan and the European Union still dominate U.S. imports. By
country, the top three suppliers of such imports for the United States are Japan,
China, and Switzerland.
Figure 20. U.S. Imports of Photographic Equipment, Optical
Goods, Watches and Clocks (SITC 88) by Country and Group,

1990-2005


Table 17. U.S. Imports of Photographic Apparatus, Equipment
and Supplies and Optical Goods; Watches and Clocks (SITC 88)
from Selected Countries and Country Groups, 1990, 2001-2005
(millions of dollars)
1990 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
J a pan 2,668 3,848 3,309 3,138 3,140 3,082
EU15 1,619 2,439 2,535 2,612 2,716 2,807
China 191 1,908 1,842 2,001 2,239 2,153
ASEAN 199 650 664 587 614 646
Mexico 128 648 634 555 665 494
Canada 180 545 414 461 428 469
T a iwan 334 282 288 280 265 258
Hong Kong526236200164182178
K orea 127 168 150 134 124 127
Rest of World5741,3481,3531,5101,7972,072
World 6,546 12,072 11,389 11,442 12,170 12,286
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

Foreign Direct Investment in China
Fueling China’s export boom is an unprecedented infusion of foreign capital in38
the manufacturing sector. Foreign direct investment (FDI) is directed toward
investments in companies in which the foreign investor has a controlling interest. It
is primarily for physical plant and equipment and for the costs of establishing
enterprises in China. It is not for portfolio investment on China’s stock exchanges.
In 2002, China overtook the United States as the world’s largest recipient of foreign
direct investment. In 2005, China remained in that position, despite a slight decrease
from a year earlier, with $60 billion in utilized FDI. The United States is one of the
largest sources of utilized FDI in China, investing $3.1 billion in 2005. (See Table
18.) China relies heavily upon investment from Hong Kong and other East Asian
countries and regions. A significant amount of FDI from Hong Kong comes from
Taiwan or from mainland Chinese companies via their subsidiaries in Hong Kong.39
Annual or utilized FDI from Japan and South Korea surpassed that of the United
States in 2003. In 2004, South Korea surpassed Japan to be the third largest source
of FDI in China. The United States remains the second largest source of cumulative
FDI after Hong Kong. China’s WTO commitments include allowing more foreign
investment in sectors such as telecommunications, energy, banking, and insurance.
Table 18. China’s Utilized Foreign Direct Investment Inflows,
Top Foreign Investors, 2000-2005
(billions of dollars)
Country or Region
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Hong Kong16.717.817.718.917.1
Virgin Islands405.06.15.76.79.0
J a pan 4.3 4.2 5.0 5.4 6.5
South Korea2.12.74.56.25.2
United States4.45.44.23.93.1
Singapore 2.1 2.3 2.0 2 2.2
T a iwan 2.9 3.9 3.4 3.1 2.1
Germany 1.2 0.9 0.8 1 1.5
All Sources46.952.753.56460.3
Source: U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service and U.S. Department of State, “Doing Business in
China: A Country Commercial Guide for U.S. Companies,” 2006.


38 For further discussion of China’s economy and foreign investment, see CRS Report
RL33534, China’s Economic Conditions, by Wayne M. Morrison.
39 Mainland subsidiaries in Hong Kong and Macao can take advantage of investment
incentives for foreign companies on the PRC mainland.
40 Many foreign firms, including U.S. companies, are registered in the Virgin Islands,
Cayman Islands, and Western Samoa for tax purposes.

Appendix
Table A1. China’s Merchandise Trade with the World, 1984-2005
(millions of dollars)
China’s Trade with the WorldWorld Trade with China
(Chinese data)(Partner Country Data)
Year Chi n a Chi n a Chi n a World World World
Expor t s Imports Balance Expor t s Imports Balance
1984 24,824 25,953 -1,129 24,640 26,904 -2,264
1985 27,329 42,534 -15,205 38,355 30,867 7,488
1986 31,367 43,247 -11,880 36,152 35,310 842
1987 39,464 43,222 -3,758 39,250 46,654 -7,404
1988 47,663 55,352 -7,689 51,794 59,748 -7,954
1989 52,916 59,131 -6,215 51,666 72,810 -21,144
1990 62,876 53,915 8,961 49,036 88,692 -39,656
1991 71,940 63,855 8,085 61,732 112,372 -50,640
1992 85,492 81,843 3,649 81,996 136,853 -54,857
1993 91,611 103,552 -11,941 108,406 156,896 -48,490
1994 120,822 115,629 5,193 120,634 191,663 -71,029
1995 148,892 132,063 16,829 145,897 233,614 -87,717
1996 151,093 138,949 12,144 156,200 254,440 -98,240
1997 182,917 142,163 40,754 165,230 286,540 -121,310
1998 183,744 140,385 43,359 152,890 289,620 -136,730
1999 194,932 165,717 29,215 162,650 322,080 -159,430
2000 249,212 225,097 24,115 212,060 398,060 -186,000
2001 266,200 243,600 22,600 221,450 413,280 -191,830
2002 325,642 295,302 30,339 270,930 483,610 -212,680
2003 438,472 413,095 25,377 422,590 601,920 -179,330
2004 593,647 560,811 32,831 527,370 794,480 -267,110
2005 762,326 660,221 102,105 647,690 989,880 -342,190
Note: Summation of data reported by 109 of China’s trading partner countries in 1983 growing to 156
countries reporting in 2005.
Sources: Chinese data: PRC General Administration of Customs and Global Trade Atlas. World
Data: International Monetary Fund, Direction of Trade Statistics Yearbook and Direction of Trade
Statistics Quarterly.



Table A2. U.S. Merchandise Trade with China and China’s
Merchandise Trade with the United States, 1984-2005
(millions of dollars)
U.S. Trade with ChinaChina’s Trade with U.S.
(U.S. data)(Chinese data)
Year U.S. U.S. U.S. Chi n a Chi n a Chi n a
Expor t s Imports Balance Expor t s Imports Balance
1984 3,004 3,381 -377 2,313 3,837 -1,524
1985 3,856 4,224 -368 2,336 5,199 -2,863
1986 3,106 5,241 -2,135 2,633 4,718 -2,085
1987 3,497 6,910 -3,413 3,030 4,836 -1,806
1988 5,017 9,261 -4,244 3,399 6,633 -3,234
1989 5,807 12,901 -7,094 4,414 7,864 -3,450
1990 4,807 16,296 -11,489 5,314 6,591 -1,277
1991 6,287 20,305 -14,018 6,198 8,010 -1,812
1992 7,470 27,413 -19,943 8,599 8,903 -304
1993 8,767 31,183 -22,416 16,976 10,633 6,343
1994 9,287 41,362 -32,075 21,421 13,977 7,444
1995 11,749 48,521 -36,772 24,744 16,123 8,621
1996 11,978 54,409 -42,431 26,731 16,179 10,552
1997 12,805 65,832 -53,027 32,744 16,290 16,454
1998 14,258 75,109 -60,851 38,001 16,997 21,004
1999 13,118 81,786 -68,668 41,946 19,480 22,466
2000 16,253 100,063 -83,810 52,104 22,363 29,741
2001 19,234 102,280 -83,046 54,300 26,200 28,100
2002 22,053 125,167 -103,115 69,959 27,227 42,731
2003 26,806 151,620 -123,960 92,510 33,882 58,628
2004 34,721 196,699 -161,978 124,973 44,652 80,321
2005 41,836 243,462 -201,626 162,938 48,734 114,204
Sources: U.S. data from U.S. Department of Commerce. Chinese data from PRC General
Administration of Customs and Global Trade Atlas.



Table A3. Japan’s Merchandise Trade with China and China’s
Merchandise Trade with Japan, 1984-2005
(millions of dollars)
Japan’s Trade with ChinaChina’s Trade with Japan
(Japanese Data)(Chinese Data)
Year Japan Japan Japan Chi n a Chi n a Chi n a
Expor t s Imports Balance Expor t s Imports Balance
1984 7,199 5,943 1,256 5,155 8,057 -2,902
1985 12,590 6,534 6,056 6,091 15,178 -9,087
1986 9,936 5,727 4,209 5,079 12,463 -7,384
1987 8,337 7,478 859 6,392 10,087 -3,695
1988 9,486 9,861 -375 8,046 11,062 -3,016
1989 8,477 11,083 -2,606 8,395 10,534 -2,139
1990 6,145 12,057 -5,912 9,210 7,656 1,554
1991 8,605 14,248 -5,643 10,252 10,032 220
1992 11,967 16,972 -5,005 11,699 13,686 -1,987
1993 17,353 20,651 -3,298 15,782 23,303 -7,521
1994 18,687 27,569 -8,882 21,490 26,319 -4,829
1995 21,934 35,922 -13,988 28,466 29,007 -541
1996 21,827 40,405 -18,578 30,888 29,190 1,698
1997 21,692 41,827 -20,135 31,820 28,990 2,830
1998 20,182 37,079 -16,897 29,718 28,307 1,411
1999 23,450 43,070 -19,620 32,400 33,768 -1,368
2000 30,440 55,340 -24,900 41,611 41,520 90
2001 30,941 57,795 -26,558 45,078 42,810 2,267
2002 40,001 61,882 -21,881 48,483 53,489 -5,006
2003 57,474 75,579 -18,105 59,453 74,204 -14,751
2004 73,971 94,446 -20,475 73,536 94,191 -20,655
2005 79,972 108,515 -28,543 84,097 100,467 -16,370
Sources: IMF, Direction of Trade Statistics Quarterly; Global Trade Atlas; PRC, General
Administration of Customs.



Table A4. European Merchandise Trade with China and China’s
Merchandise Trade with the European Union, 1984-2005
(millions of dollars)
EU-15 Trade with ChinaChina’s Trade with the EU-15
(EU data)(Chinese Data)
Year EU EU EU Chi n a Chi n a Chi n a
Expor t s Imports Balance Expor t s Imports Balance
1984 2,929 2,639 290 2,232 3,323 -1,091
1985 5,484 2,971 2,513 2,283 6,157 -3,874
1986 6,403 4,106 2,297 4,017 7,757 -3,740
1987 6,430 5,945 485 3,916 7,274 -3,358
1988 6,772 7,719 -947 4,746 8,176 -3,430
1989 7,360 9,877 -2,517 5,114 9,785 -4,671
1990 7,373 13,289 -5,916 6,275 9,147 -2,872
1991 7,719 18,160 -10,441 7,127 9,297 -2,170
1992 9,604 20,995 -11,391 8,004 10,863 -2,859
1993 14,301 23,730 -9,429 12,258 15,739 -3,481
1994 16,246 27,644 -11,398 15,418 18,604 -3,186
1995 19,327 32,333 -13,006 19,258 21,313 -2,055
1996 18,387 35,440 -17,053 19,868 19,883 -15
1997 18,054 42,172 -24,118 23,865 19,205 4,660
1998 19,298 47,005 -27,707 28,148 20,715 7,433
1999 20,326 52,573 -32,247 30,207 25,463 4,744
2000 23,063 64,022 -40,958 38,193 30,845 7,348
2001 26,620 67,634 -41,025 40,904 35,723 5,181
2002 32,208 77,495 -45,227 48,184 38,552 9,632
2003 44,217 108,562 -64,345 72,457 53,112 19,345
2004 57,773 147,111 -89,338 99,843 68,011 31,832
2005 61,894 183,734 -121,840 134,872 71,694 63,178
Note: From 1980-88, data are for the 12 nations of the European Economic Community and
after 1988 for the 15 nations of the EU (addition of Austria, Finland, and Sweden).
Sources: IMF. Direction of Trade Statistics Yearbook and Direction of Trade Statistics
Quarterly; Global Trade Atlas; PRC. General Administration of Customs.



CRS-44
Table A5. Major Country Merchandise Exports to China, Imports from China, and Trade Balances with China,
2004 and 2005
(billions of dollars)
Trading Partner Data Chinese Data
tner 2004 2005 2004 2005
ExpImp BalExpImpBalExpImpBalExpImpBal
34.7 196.6 -161.9 41.8 243.4 -201.6 44.6 124.9 -80.3 48.7 162.9 -114.2
73.9 94.4 -20.5 79.9 108.5 -28.5 94.2 73.5 20.7 100.4 84.1 16.3
1 5 57.7 146.7 -89.0 61.9 183.7 -121.8 68.0 99.8 -31.8 71.7 134.8 -63.1
iki/CRS-RL31403g Kong114.2118.0-3.8130.3135.1-4.811.8101.0-89.212.2124.5-112.3
g/wan 44.916.728.251.819.931.964.713.551.274.616.757.9
s.or
leak54.9 29.2 25.7 69.8 38.6 31.2 62.0 27.8 34.2 76.8 35.1 41.7
://wiki26.0 38.4 -12.4 26.4 49.4 -23.0 30.0 23.7 6.3 30.6 32.5 -1.9
http15.4 16.2 -0.8 19.7 20.5 -0.8 14.0 12.6 1.4 16.5 16.7 -0.2
. 4.3 19.1 -14.8 5.1 23.9 -18.8 4.7 14.9 -10.2 5.5 18.9 -13.4
nce 6.7 14.5 -7.8 8.0 17.9 -9.9 7.6 9.9 -2.3 9.0 11.6 -2.6
: IMF. Direction of Trade Statistics Yearbook and Direction of Trade Statistics Quarterly; Global Trade Atlas; Hong Kong Trade Development Council; Ministry of Economic
irs, Board of Foreign Trade (Taiwan).



CRS-45
Table A6. U.S. Merchandise Trade Balances with Selected Asian Developing Nations, 1984-2005
(millions of dollars)
arChinaIndonesiaS. KoreaMalaysiaPhilippinesTaiwanThailand
1984 -377 -4,674 -4,188 -9983 -913 -11,266 -381
1985 -373 -4,152 -4,992 -936 -959 -13,295 -804
1986 -2,135 -2,757 -7,588 -807 -805 -16,069 -1,018
1987 -3,422 -2,955 -10,326 -1,159 -898 -19,221 -904
1988 -4,237 -2,438 -10,578 -1,715 -1,069 -14,314 -1,739
1989 -7,094 -2,618 -7,115 -2,052 -1,102 -14,305 -2,343
1990 -11,488 -1,785 -4,888 -2,071 -1,151 -12,347 -2,597
1991 -14,018 -1,675 -2,224 -2,446 -1,439 -11,038 -2,693
iki/CRS-RL314031992 -19,943 -1,927 -2,732 -4,144 -1,870 -10,601 -3,944
g/w1993 -24,927 -3,117 -3,003 -4,858 -1,646 -10,050 -5,214
s.or
leak1994 -32,076 -4,209 -2,346 -7,454 -2,137 -10,864 -5,938
://wiki1995 -36,772 -4,599 523 -9,162 -2,070 -10,863 -5,452
http1996 -42,431 -4,778 3,286 -9,809 -2,372 -12,610 -4,587
1997 -53,026 -5,222 1,269 -7,695 -3,370 -13,331 -5,699
1998 -56,927 -7,042 -7,456 -10,043 -5,211 -14,960 -8,198
1999 -68,668 -7,575 -8,308 -12,349 -5,153 -16,077 -9,340
2000 -83,810 -7,839 -12,398 -14,573 -5,147 -16,134 -9,747
2001 -83,045 -7,605 -12,988 -12,956 -3,666 -15,239 -8,733
2002 -103,115 -7,062 -12,979 -13,661 -3,715 -13,805 -9,939
2003 -123,960 -6,999 -12,864 -14,517 -2,068 -14,111 -9,338
2004-161,977-8,142-19,829-17,288 -2,072-12,866-11,214
2005 -201,625 -8,971 -16,109 -23,252 -2,355 -12,788 -12,569
U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Commission.