Sino-Luso trade fell 9.6 per cent between January and September of 2016 when compared with the same period last year, to reach US$69.13 billion (MOP552.3 billion) according to data from the Chinese Customs Service, published by the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macao).
Exports from China to Lusophone countries were valued at US$21.27 billion dollars in the nine-month period, 25.78 per cent less than in the same period last year. Exports to China from the eight countries reached US$47.85 billion dollars, a small year-on-year increase of 0.09 per cent.
On a month-to-month comparison, Sino-Luso trade in September increased by 1.91 per cent, reaching US$8.89 billion.
Three amigos
Brazil was China’s largest Lusophone trading partner in the first nine months of the year, with a total of US$51.67 billion in trade value registered, despite a seven per cent decrease in total trade value year-on-year during the period.
Angola maintained its position as China’s second largest Lusophone trading partner in the first nine months of 2016, despite registering a 24.3 per cent year-on-year fall in trade value – the most considerable decrease of China’s three main Portuguese-speaking trading partners, hitting US$11.78 billion.
Portugal maintained its position as the third largest trade partner of China in the Portuguese-speaking world in the first nine months of 2016, with bilateral trade amounting to US$4.15 billion.
