BRI trade spikes in first three quarters of 2018

Trade volume between China and economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative reached 6.08 trillion yuan ($875 billion) in the first three quarters, an increase of 13.2 percent year-on-year, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

The growth rate was 3.3 percentage points higher than the country's overall trade expansion during the same period, the ministry said.

In the first nine months, Chinese enterprises' non-financial direct investment into BRI economies climbed 12.3 percent year-on-year to $10.78 billion, it said.

US companies well-represented at import expo

US companies showed enthusiasm in the first China International Import Expo, with the number of firms that signed up for the event ranking third among all economies, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

So far, nearly 180 US companies have been confirmed to participate in the event scheduled for Nov 5-10 in Shanghai, Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said at a press conference.

The companies cover fields like high-end manufacturing, intelligent equipment, agricultural products, culture and sports, Gao added.

The event will create a high-level platform for all global companies, including US firms, to communicate and cooperate with each other, Gao said.