Of the 25 quantitative target tasks identified in the 2015 government work report for economic and social development, 24 have been completed as scheduled. Only the target of “Import and export growth target set at around 6%” in the report was not completed. Last year's foreign trade imports and exports actually increased by -7%. Experts said that the complexity and severity of the world economic situation far exceeded expectations, and was an important reason why foreign trade imports and exports did not meet the expected goals.

Customs data show that in 2015, the total value of imports and exports nationwide was 24.58 trillion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 7%. Among them, exports fell by 1.8%; imports fell by 13.2%.

According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, in 2015, China's foreign trade structure improved significantly. Private enterprises, mechanical and electrical products, and general trade exports all achieved positive growth of 1.8%, 0.1%, and 1.2%, respectively. The quality and efficiency of import growth improved. In 2015, China Commodity imports increased and prices fell, of which, crude oil imports increased by 8.8%, natural gas increased by 17.8%, iron ore increased by 2.2%, soybeans increased by 14.4%, and copper concentrates increased by 12.5%; total imports of 10 commodities reduced foreign exchange payments USD 188 billion, equivalent to RMB 1.2 trillion.

Gao Hucheng, Minister of Commerce, said that for more than 30 years since China's reform and opening up, China's foreign trade has grown at an average annual rate of 15.3%. At present, China's foreign trade has reached a stage where traditional industries need to improve quality and efficiency, and new industries need innovation and development. There is a speed change, which is a threshold that must be passed.

>> Release doubts <<

Why is the target set at 6%?

Early last year, international agencies predicted a good economic situation

Introduced by the relevant person in charge of the Foreign Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce, at the beginning of last year, the Ministry of Commerce formulated the target for the growth of imports and exports for the year on the basis of the forecast by major international authorities of the situation in 2015 to be better than 2014. At that time, international organizations generally believed that the economic situation in 2015 was better than that in 2014. The lowest is that the growth rate can be increased by 0.2 percentage points, and the highest is that the increase is 0.5 percentage points. This was the unanimous judgment of the global situation at that time. However, since then, international authorities have been continuously revising their forecasts.

Why are the targets actually different? Crude iron ore plunge is an important reason for the gap

It is understood that the global economy has been in negative growth for four consecutive years. The sluggishness of external demand, falling commodity prices, turbulence in some countries and regions, sharp devaluation of currencies, and falling purchasing power have exceeded expectations, affecting 20% ​​of China's export market. Gao Hucheng said that last year, in the context of the slowdown of the world economy and the weakening of external demand, global overcapacity caused international trade to contract, and commodity prices fell steeply. The price of crude oil and iron ore dropped by about 40%. This "amazing drop" was an important reason for the decline in China's foreign trade in 2015.

How does China compare with the international?

China's export decline is low, the best in the world

Gao Hucheng said that, overall, in the complex and severe situation last year, China's export performance was better than other major economies, and the decline was the best among major global economies. Its share of global market increased by one in 2015 compared with 2014. Percentage points, continue to maintain the status of the world's largest goods trading country and exporting country. According to the World Trade Organization's 2015 announcement of 73 major economies (accounting for more than 90% of global trade), global trade exports fell by 11.1% in 2015 and imports fell by 12.56%.