Maritime Silk Road Trade Index Posts Slight Increase in April

On April, the Maritime Silk Road Trade Index (STI) shows the import and export trade value between China and countries along the Maritime Silk Road has increased slightly. The overall import and export closed at 147.40 points, up 0.62% from the previous month and 4.85% from the same period of last year. The export trade index closed at 148.55 points, up 3.50% from the previous month and 0.75% from the same period of last year. The import trade index closed at 146.04 points, the chain ratio It rose by 6.04% and 12.46% year-on-year. In the first quarter of 2019, the average value of the overall import and export was 136.39 points, up 2.33% year-on-year. The average value of the export trade index was 140.32 points, up 2.80% year-on-year. the average value of the import trade index was 131.76 points, down 1.55% year-on-year.

The import and export of China and the top two trading partners (EU and ASEAN) maintained a year-on-year growth, and the proportion of total trade value with countries along the Maritime Silk Road continued to rise.
From January to April, China’s total import and export trade was 1399.807 billion US dollars, down 1.1% year-on-year; total export trade was 744.599 billion US dollars, up 0.2% year-on-year; total import trade was 655.207 billion US dollars, down 2.5% year-on-year. In the main markets of China’s import and export trade, the import and export trade value with the EU increased by 5.6% year-on-year to 220.046billion US dollars; the import and export trade value with ASEAN increased by 2.98% to 187.993billion US dollars; the import and export trade with the United States fell 15.9% year-on-year to 161.232 billion US dollars. In addition, the import and export trade value between China and the countries along the Maritime Silk Road increased by 2.33% year-on-year to 321.126 billion US dollars, accounting for 22.82% of the total import and export value of the China.

Southeast Asia and the Middle East have increased their share of the import and export trade value to China, while South Asia decreased
From January to April, the trade import and export condition of China and countries along the Maritime Silk Road remained stable. The import and export trade value with Southeast Asia increased by 2.98% year-on-year, and the proportion of import and export trade value between China and countries along the Maritime Silk Road reached 58.55%. Compared with 2018, it increased by 0.37%; the import and export trade value with the Middle East increased by 5.07% year-on-year, and the proportion of import and export trade value between China and countries along the Maritime Silk Road was 13.01%, an drops of 1.01 % from 2018.

The proportion of export trade value in mechanical and electrical products continued to rise, and the mineral products were the most important imported goods between China and Countries along the Maritime Silk Road
From January to April, mechanical and electrical products are the main commodity exported from China to the countries along the Maritime Silk Road, which accounted for 36.95% of total total export value. Geographically, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, the Red Sea and Central and Eastern Europe accounted for 37.58%, 39.32%, 34.30%, 28.04% and 38.24% respectively. Among them, except for South Asia and the Middle East, the proportion of exports of mechanical and electrical products in the other three regions has increased from 2018. As the main imported commodity of China to the countries along the Maritime Silk Road, mineral products accounted for 37.99% of the total import trade, an increase of 1.16% over 2018. In specific, petroleum products are mainly petroleum oil (accounting for 23.44%), followed by LPG (4.13%). In addition, mineral products are also the most important imported commodities in China and the Middle East, which accounting for 82.73% of the total imports from China and the Middle East.

Maritime Silk Road Trade Index (STI), a set of trade development index system consisting of import and export trade index, export trade index, and import trade index, is monthly released to measure the level of economic and trade development and reflect the trend of trade development among China and the major countries along the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road in terms of overall, by region and by transport mode.

Maritime Silk Road Trade Index Compilation
Base Period
The base period of STI is set on March 2015, with a base point of 100.
Data Source
The data of the STI are derived from the monthly customs import and export trade data.
Preparation Method
STI is compiled as per an internationally accepted development index calculation method. The Index is released as a combination of initial value and final value. The initial value is a predicted value, and the final value is calculated based on the customs import and export trade data of the current month.

Index Release
The initial value of STI is released around the 9th of each month; the final value is released on the 28th of each month and is postponed in case of statutory holidays.

Source: Maritime Silk Road Trade Index