Fact Sheet on U.S. Imports from the People’s Republic of China
The People’s Republic of China is one of the United States’ top trade partners. The United States imported approximately $321.5 billion in products in 2007 from China, and exported $65.2 billion to China, which made that nation our second-largest trading partner overall. Trade figures for January through August 2008 indicate the United States imported $217.3 billion in goods from China, an increase of $12.2 billion for the same period in 2007.
In September 2006, President Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed to create a Strategic Economic Dialogue between the United States and China as a forum to discuss how the two nations can work together to address economic challenges and opportunities as responsible stakeholders in the international economic system.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Mike Leavitt, chair of the U.S. President’s Cabinet-level Working Group on Import Safety, signed two Memoranda of Agreement with Chinese officials in Beijing December 11, 2007, to enhance the safety of food, feed, drugs and medical devices exported from China to the United States. In May 2008, the Secretary visited China to follow up on the implementation of those agreements and the two countries signed a joint progress statement related to the safety of food and feed at the fourth session under the Strategic Economic Dialogue in June, 2008.
This week, the Secretary and HHS Food and Drug Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D., will mark the opening of United States HHS/Food and Drug Administration offices in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. While the Secretary and Commissioner are in Beijing, they will participate in a workshop with the Chinese Minister of Health Chen Zhu and discuss policy and governance reforms aimed at improving the safety of food and other consumer products in China and the United States.
China’s computer and toy industries are major exporters to the United States. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Top 10 products exported to the United States from China in 2007, in billions of dollars, were the following:
| Computer accessories, peripherals and parts | $28.08 |
| Toys, shooting and sporting goods, and bicycles | $27.58 |
| Clocks, portable typewriters and other household goods | $27.55 |
| Computers | $28.23 |
| Apparel and household goods and other textiles | $15.81 |
| Furniture, household items, baskets | $13.95 |
| Cotton apparel and cotton household goods | $13.00 |
| Television receivers, VCR’s and other video equipment | $12.93 |
| Telecommunications equipment | $12.57 |
| Footwear of leather, rubber or other materials | $11.16 |
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the top 10 food products exported from China to the United States in 2007 were the following:
| Fish and shellfish | $2.013 billion |
| Fruits and preparations, including frozen juices | $816 million |
| Vegetables and preparations | $444 million |
| Soft beverages, processed coffee | $276 million |
| Feedstuff and food grains | $222 million |
| Bakery and confectionary products | $173 million |
| Tea, spices and preparations | $142 million |
| Nuts and preparations | $99 million |
| Meat products, poultry and edible animals | $98 million |
| Nonagricultural foods and food additives | $85 million |
By volume, China is the largest exporter of seafood to the United States, and the second-largest in terms of monetary value. In particular, China exports significant amounts of shrimp and catfish products, which represent two of the ten most-consumed seafood products in the United States.
Last year, the United States imported nearly $2 trillion of goods worldwide, through more than 825,000 importers. Analysts expect that volume of trade to continue to grow sharply.
For more information about the U.S. government’s efforts to ensure the safety of products imported to the United States, and to view the HHS agreements with China, visit: http://www.importsafety.gov (Import Safety).
Last revised: January 22, 2009
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