Fact Sheet on U.S. Imports from the People’s Republic of China

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 12, 2008

Contact: HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343

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.

In September 2006, President Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed to create a Strategic Economic Dialogue between the United States and China. Reflecting the growing relationship between the U.S. and Chinese economies, the Strategic Economic Dialogue is designed to be a forum for discussing ways the United States and China 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) Secretary Mike Leavitt, chair of the U.S. President’s Cabinet-level working group on import safety, signed two agreements 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. On a trip to China this week, the Secretary will follow up on the implementation of those agreements, and further cooperative efforts between the two countries in the area of product safety.

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:

Top 10 Products Exported from China to the United States	In Billions of Dollars
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:

Top 10 Food Products Exported from China to the United States
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: www.importsafety.gov.