In the first three quarters of this year, China's total foreign trade value amounted to $3.06 trillion, up 7.7 percent year on year, as announced by the Chinese customs authorities. China's total export value in the given period reached $1.61 trillion, an increase of eight percent, while the total value of its imports amounted to $1.45 trillion, up 7.3 percent, both year on year. Accordingly, China's trade surplus for the given period was $169.4 billion, rising by 14.4 percent year on year.

In September alone, China's foreign trade value amounted to $356.08 billion, rising by 3.3 percent year on year. Of this total, the export value accounted for $185.64 billion, down unexpectedly by 0.3 percent, while the import value accounted for $170.44 billion, increasing by 7.4 percent, giving a trade surplus of $15.2 billion, down 44.7 percent, all on year-on-year basis.