BEIJING – China overtook Germany as the world's top exporter after December exports jumped 17.7 percent for their first increase in 14 months, data showed Sunday, in another sign of China's rise as a global economic force.
北京 – 周日的數據顯示,14個月內中國的出口額第一次增長到17.7%,從而使中國取代德國成為世界最大出口國,這也是另一個中國全球經濟實力上升的標志。
Exports for the last month of 2009 were $130.7 billion, data from the General Administration of Customs showed. That raised total 2009 exports to $1.2 trillion, ahead of the 816 billion euros ($1.17 trillion) for Germany forecast by its foreign trade organization, BGA.
海關總署的數據顯示,2009年最后一個月的出口額是1,307億美元。2009年整年的出口額增長到1.2萬億美元,領先于德國聯邦批發貿易協會(BGA-Bundesverband Gro?handel Au?enhandel)預測的其出口額為8,160億歐元(1.17萬億美元)的這一數據。
China's new status is largely symbolic but reflects the ability of its resilient, low-cost manufacturers to keep selling abroad despite a slump in global consumer demand due to the financial crisis.
中國的新地位是個巨大的象征,但是也反映出它有彈性的能力,盡管處于經濟危機中,國際客戶仍舊要求低成本的制造商把商品銷到海外。
December's rebound was an "important turning point" for exporters, a customs agency economist, Huang Guohua, said on state television, CCTV.
12月的重整旗鼓對于眾多出口商來說是個"重要的轉折點",海關經濟學家黃國華(Huang Guohua)在國家電視臺,中央電視臺說道。
"We can say that China's export enterprises have completely emerged from their all-time low in exports," Huang said.
黃說:"我們可以說中國的出口企業完全地從他們歷史最低點的出口業中脫穎而出。"
Stronger foreign sales of Chinese goods could help to drive the country's recovery after demand plunged in 2008, forcing thousands of factories to close and throwing millions of laborers out of work.
中國商品在國外更高的銷售額能幫助國家從2008年驟降的經濟形勢中恢復過來,這危機導致了成千上萬的工廠倒閉,上百萬的工人失業。
Boosted by a 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) stimulus, China's economic expansion accelerated to 8.9 percent for the third quarter of 2009 and the government says full-year growth should be 8.3 percent.
4萬億元人民幣(5,860億美元)的刺激,中國2009年前三個季度的經濟增長了8.9%,政府說全年的增長可達8.3%.
Economists and Germany's national chamber of commerce said earlier the country was likely to lose its longtime crown as top exporter.
經濟學家和德國國家商貿部說中國的早些時候更像是一位長期丟掉桂冠的最大出口商。
China is best known as a supplier of shoes, toys, furniture and other low-tech goods, while Germany exports machinery and other higher-value products. German commentators note that their country supplies the factory equipment used by top Chinese manufacturers.
中國以制造供應鞋、玩具、家具和其他科技含量不高的商品為主,而德國以出口機械和更高價值的商品為主。德國的評論員注意到中國的頂級制造商用他們國家制造的工廠設備生產產品。
China surpassed the United States as the biggest auto market in 2009 and is on track to replace Japan as the world's second-largest economy soon. China passed Germany as the third-largest economy in 2007.
2009年中國超過了美國成全球最大汽車交易國,并且中國正在取代日本成為全球第二大經濟強國。而中國早在2007年就超過了德國成第三大經濟強國。
China's trade surplus shrank by 34.2 percent in 2009 to $196.07 billion, the customs agency said. That reflected China's stronger demand for imported raw materials and consumer goods while the United States and other economies are struggling and demand is weak.
2009年中國的貿易過剩從34.2%縮水到1,960.7億美元,海關署說。這反映了中國對進口稀缺材料和消費者產品的強大需求量,而這同一時期,美國和其他經濟國卻在于低迷的經濟作斗爭,并且需求量很弱。
The United States and other governments complain that part of China's export success is based on currency controls and improper subsidies that give its exporters an unfair advantage against foreign rivals.
美國和其他政府抱怨說中國出口市場的成功應歸功于貨幣調控政策和不正當的給予本國出口商不公平的優惠政策以跟外國對手競爭。
Washington has imposed anti-dumping duties on imports of Chinese-made steel pipes and some other goods, while the European Union has imposed curbs on Chinese shoes.
美國政府對中國制造的鋼管和其他產品征收反傾銷稅,同時歐盟對中國制造的鞋子征收稅款。
The U.S. and other governments also complain that Beijing keeps its currency, the yuan, undervalued. Beijing broke the yuan's link to the dollar in 2005 and it rose gradually until late 2008, but has been frozen since then against the U.S. currency in what economists say is an effort by Beijing to keep its exporters competitive.
美國和其他國家的政府同樣抱怨北京政府對其貨幣,人民幣的估價過低。在2005年時,人民幣兌美元的匯率走低,直至2008年晚些時候其匯率才逐漸攀升。
The dollar's weakness against the euro and some other currencies pulls down the yuan in markets that use them and makes Chinese goods even more attractive there, adding to China's trade surplus.
美元疲軟拖垮了歐元和其他貨幣,使中國商品具有更大的吸引力,而這增加了中國貿易盈余。
Even though China overtook Germany as top exporter, the customs agency said total 2009 Chinese trade fell 13.9 percent from 2008.
盡管中國取代德國成最大出口國,但是據海關署說,相對于2008年,中國2009年的貿易額下降了13.9%.
Commodities were among China's key imports, the agency said, with the country bringing in 630 million tons of iron ore last year, up 41.6 percent from the previous year, and 200 million tons of crude oil, an increase of 13.9 percent, as prices for both commodities fell.
去年,日用商品是中國的主要進口商品,海關署說,與此同時,中國生產了6,300萬噸的鋼鐵,同前年相比,增長了41.6%,出產了2,000萬噸的原油,這項增長了13.9%,與這些相比,中國進口商品的價格要大大降低了。
Economists say China has been rushing to build up stockpiles at bargain prices since crude oil and other commodity prices plunged in 2008. That motive, more than a revival in actual industrial demand, has driven its recent import boom of oil, copper and other metals.
經濟學家說在2008年原油和其他日用品價格驟降的同時,中國急劇地增加其廉價庫存的囤積。這一做法,使其在近期的工業需求中在原油、銅和其他金屬的進口方面迅速得以振興。