Beijing, China, 31 Aug – Portugal spent a monthly average of US$156.6 million on imports from China in the first six months of the year, and sold less than half that amount back to China, according to figures released in Beijing Thursday by the Chinese government.

According to statistics provided by the Chinese trade ministry to Portuguese news agency Lusa in Beijing, Portugal imported Chinese goods to the value of US$940 million in the first half of 2007 and exported US$352.49 million to China.

Portugal almost doubled its exports to China in the period, from the US$187.54 million in the first half of 2006 to US$352.49 million, or a rise of some 88 percent.

Year on year sales from China to Portugal rose less, from US$742.91 million to US$940 million, or around 26.5 percent.

According to the figures from the Chinese trade ministry, trade between China and Portugal accounts for 6.79 percent of total trade between China and the 27 countries of the European Union (EU) and 6.85 percent of trade between China and the Portuguese-speaking nations. (macauhub)