Trade between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries hit US$26.77 billion in the first quarter of 2013, down by 5.64 percent from a year earlier, according to data from the Chinese General Administration of Customs.

Chinese imports from Portuguese-speaking Countries were down 10.66 percent year-on-year in the first three months of the year, reaching US$17.16 billion. China sold goods and services to Portuguese-speaking Countries worth US$9.10 billion during the period, up by 5.54 percent from a year earlier.

Total trade value for the month of March reached US$8.93 billion, up by 10.55 percent from the previous month.

The value of China’s imports from Portuguese-speaking Countries grew by 18.89 percent month-on-month to US$6.17 billion in March, while exports to those countries reached US$2.76 billion, down by 4.43 percent from the previous month.