Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
this group averaged 35.8 per cent from 1992 to 2001. However, its share
declned to 21.2 per cent durng 2002 to 2005 due to the large ncreases
n mports of cotton and raw hdes and skns.
Cotton s also an mportant commodty n ths group. Cotton mports
averaged around US$1.3 billion from 1994 to 1997, but declined to less
than US$0.2 billion from 1998 to 2002. From 2003 to 2005, cotton imports
increased significantly to reach US$2.9 billion. As a result, cotton became
the largest import commodity in this group, accounting for 41.4 per cent
of total mports of the group over the perod 2002 to 2005.
Raw hdes and skns are also mportant commodtes n ths group.
Imports of raw hdes and skns have been ncreasng steadly snce 1992.
However, since 2003, imports have increased sharply, up from US$0.9 billion
in 2003 to US$1.4 billion in 2004 and with a further jump to US$2.8 billion
in 2005. As a result, the share in total imports of raw materials for textiles
increased to 33.3 per cent during 2002 to 2005.
Anmal products
Anmal products
rank thrd n Chna's agrcultural mports. The mport value
of animal products increased gradually from 1992 to 1998 then increased
rapidly during 1999-2001. After entry into the WTO, imports of animal
products increased even faster, rising from US$2.75 billion in 2002 to US$4.5
billion in 2005. As a result, the share of animal products in China's total
agricultural imports increased from 14.9 per cent in the period of 1992-2001
to 17.6 per cent in the period 2002-05.
Within the group, fish and other aquatic products are the most important
commodities. Imports of fish and other aquatic products have increased
particularly quickly since entry into the WTO, rising to US$2.6 billion in
2005, nearly double that of 2001. Hence, the share of fish and other aquatic
products n Chna's total mports of anmal products ncreased to 55.7 per
cent during 2002-05.
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Meat and dairy products are the next most important commodities in this
group. In the 1990s Chna mported very lmted amounts of these products.
However, since 1999 and particularly since 2001, imports of meat and dairy
products have ncreased quckly. The mport value of meat ncreased from
US$0.26 billion annually in 1992-2001 to US$0.57 billion annually in 2002-05,
