According to customs statistics, in the first quarter of 2009, import and export of textile machinery amounted to US $1.097 billion in total, down 56.34 percent year-on-year. Among them, exports were $231 million, down 41.83 percent year-on-year and imports stood at $866 million, down 61.48 percent year-on-year.
From amongst product categories, knitting machinery exports fetched $93,236,300, a year-on-year drop of 20.12 percent and accounting for 40.29 percent of total exports. Shipments from the private sector amounted to $108 million, a y-o-y decline of 10.05 percent and accounted for 46.55 percent of total exports.
Exports of general trade amounted to $196 million, a y-o-y decline of 37.55 percent and accounting for 84.67 percent of total exports. From countries and regions, China's exports to India still ranked the first in the first quarter, amounting to $72,264,700, down by a marginal 2.11 percent year-on-year.
In case of imports, knitting machinery shipments totaled to $143 million, down 43.86 percent year-on-year and accounted for 33.15 percent of total imports. Imports of textile machinery in general trade reached $198 million, down 69.02 percent year-on-year, accounting for 45.78 percent of total imports.