China narrowed its foreign trade deficit in agricultural products during 2016, according to figures reported by its Ministry of Agriculture. Data for January-December 2016 show the value of imports was $111.57 billion, down 4.5 percent from the previous year and the value of exports was $72.99 billion, up 3.3 percent. The deficit of $38.58 billion had narrowed by 16.5%, according to the Ministry of Agriculture's estimates.
The volume of soybean, wheat and rice imports for January-December 2016 was up, and the volume of pork imports doubled. Imports of corn, cotton, and sugar fell by about a third. Imports of yarn were also down. Imports of substitutes for corn--barley, sorghum, distillers dried grains, and cassava--all fell dramatically. Beef and milk powder imports rose, but lamb/mutton imports were down slightly. China exported 395,000 metric tons of rice (up 37.5%), 113,000 metric tons of wheat (down 7.4%), and 4,000 metric tons of corn (down 63%). Sunflower oil imports surged by 47% while imports of other vegetable oils shrank by double digits. (Other sources show sunflower oil shipments from Ukraine and Russia account for most of the sunflower oil increase).
The Ministry gave only a partial accounting of the value of imports and exports by category. Oilseeds and livestock were the two largest agricultural import categories by value, but together they accounted for 54 percent of the total import value. The value of oilseed imports declined, reflecting lower prices. The largest agricultural export item reported was vegetables, but their $14.7 billion value accounted for only 20% of the total agricultural export value. Vegetable export value was up 11%. Fruit was the second-leading export item listed, yet China's fruit imports were also significant. The value of fruit imports was roughly equal to the value of grain imports last year.
| China agricultural imports and exports, 2016 | |||
| Exports | Imports | Net | |
| Value (Billion US dollars) |
72.99 | 111.57 | -38.58 |
| Change from previous year (percent) | 3.3 | -4.5 | -16.5 |
The volume of soybean, wheat and rice imports for January-December 2016 was up, and the volume of pork imports doubled. Imports of corn, cotton, and sugar fell by about a third. Imports of yarn were also down. Imports of substitutes for corn--barley, sorghum, distillers dried grains, and cassava--all fell dramatically. Beef and milk powder imports rose, but lamb/mutton imports were down slightly. China exported 395,000 metric tons of rice (up 37.5%), 113,000 metric tons of wheat (down 7.4%), and 4,000 metric tons of corn (down 63%). Sunflower oil imports surged by 47% while imports of other vegetable oils shrank by double digits. (Other sources show sunflower oil shipments from Ukraine and Russia account for most of the sunflower oil increase).
| China imports of main commodities, 2016 | ||
| Commodity | Import volume | Change from prev.yr. |
| 1000 metric tons | Percent | |
| Wheat | 3,412 | 13.5 |
| Corn | 3,168 | -33.0 |
| Rice | 3,562 | 5.5 |
| Barley | 5,005 | -53.4 |
| Sorghum | 6,648 | -37.9 |
| Distillers dried grains | 3,067 | -55.0 |
| Cassava | 7,704 | -17.8 |
| Cotton | 1,240 | -29.5 |
| Yarn (cotton substitute) | 1,968 | -16.1 |
| Sugar | 3,062 | -36.8 |
| Soybeans | 83,913 | 2.7 |
| Rapeseed/canola | 3,566 | -20.2 |
| Other oilseeds | 2,050 | na |
| Palm oil | 4,478 | -24.2 |
| Rapeseed oil | 700 | -14.1 |
| Sunflower oil | 957 | 47.0 |
| Soybean oil | 560 | -31.5 |
| Pork | 1,620 | 110.0 |
| Swine offal | 1,491 | 82.5 |
| Beef | 580 | 22.4 |
| Lamb/mutton | 220 | -1.3 |
| Milk powder | 846 | 15.2 |
The Ministry gave only a partial accounting of the value of imports and exports by category. Oilseeds and livestock were the two largest agricultural import categories by value, but together they accounted for 54 percent of the total import value. The value of oilseed imports declined, reflecting lower prices. The largest agricultural export item reported was vegetables, but their $14.7 billion value accounted for only 20% of the total agricultural export value. Vegetable export value was up 11%. Fruit was the second-leading export item listed, yet China's fruit imports were also significant. The value of fruit imports was roughly equal to the value of grain imports last year.
| China agricultural import and export value, 2016 | ||||
| Category | Imports | Exports | ||
| Billion dollars |
Change (%) | Billion dollars |
Change (%) | |
| Oilseeds | 37.0 | -3.5 | 1.4 | -3.0 |
| Vegetables | 0.5 | 2.0 | 14.7 | 11.0 |
| Fruit | 5.8 | -1.0 | 7.1 | 3.6 |
| Cereal grains | 5.7 | -39.2 | 0.5 | 13.6 |
| Livestock | 23.4 | 14.5 | 5.6 | -4.2 |
| Edible oils | 5.1 | -15.5 | ||
| Cotton | 1.8 | -34.7 | ||
| Sugar | 1.2 | -34.0 | ||
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