China and the eight Portuguese-speaking countries began 2016 with a year on year fall of 18.69 percent in trade in January, which totalled US$6.158 billion, according to Chinese official figures published in Macau.

Trade with Brazil totaled US$4.419 billion (-20.61 percent), with China exporting goods worth US$1.682 million (-17.89 percent) and importing goods worth US$2.737 billion (-22.19 percent).

Trade with Angola, China’s second largest Portuguese-speaking trading partner, totalled US$1.100 billion (-23.23 percent), with Chinese exports falling 46.41 percent to US$156 million and imports of Angolan products reaching US$944 million (-17.29 percent).

Third was Portugal with trade worth US$494 million (+39.19 percent), with China have selling goods worth US$412 million (+64.19 percent) and buying goods worth US$81 million (-21.61 percent).

The value of trade between China and Mozambique was US$129 million (-33.11 percent), with Chinese exports of US$86 million (-44.17 percent) and imports of US$43 million (+10.25 percent) .

With other Portuguese-speaking countries – Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), Guinea-Bissau, Timor Leste (East Timor) and Sao Tome and Principe – Chinese trade amounted to US$13 million.

In 2015, the value of trade between China and Portuguese – speaking countries declined by 25.73 percent to US$98.474 billion, a real loss of US$34.106 billion. (macauhub/AO/BR/CV/GW/MZ/PT/TL/ST)