Explanatory Notes on Main Statistical Indicators

Total Import & Export Value　refers to the value of commodities imported into and exported from the boundary of China, it can be used to observe the total scale in foreign trade of a country. It includes: the actual imports and exports through foreign trade, imported and exported goods under the processing and assembling trades and materials, supplies and gifts as aid given gratis between governments and by the United Nations and other international organizations, the donated products of overseas Chinese, compatriot from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and Chinese of foreign nationality, lease goods belonging to lessee after expiring leasing period, the imports and exports of processing with imported materials, the local trade in the border and cargoes imported and exported of small trade of border area (excluding the trade between the residents in the border), the imported and exported commodities and articles for public use of the Sino-foreign joint ventures, cooperative enterprises and ventures exclusively with foreign own investment, imported and exported sample of regulation and advertising product that are in the stipulated above-norm of the CIF and FOB (excluding which have no commercial value, using value and which export for free), the imports that are picked up from the bonded warehouse and sale in china, and other imports and exports. In our country, exports are calculated according to FOB, and imports are calculated according to CIF.

Foreign Direct Investment   refers to the investment made in Chinese mainland area by corporations or natural persons from foreign countries, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan areas in various ways (e.g. cash, kind, intangible assets etc.), and also includes the total investment in unlisted companies and the investment in listed companies with the proportion of stock ownership no less than 10% from individual foreign investor.

Foreign investors can also invest in cash, kind and techniques, and reinvest with the profit gained from foreign-invested enterprises.

Overseas Contracted Projects   refers to the business operations during the engineering construction projects contracted or carried out according to international practices in foreign countries, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan areas by Chinese domestic corporations or other economic institutions, such as surveying, designing, building, supervising, equipment and material purchasing, installation and debugging, project consulting, project managing etc.