China's total retail sales of consumer goods reached 1264.4 billion yuan in the first two months of this year, up 12.5 percent from last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Consumer retail sales grew by 15.5 percent in January and 9.4 percent in February compared with the same period last year. Consumer retail sales in cities came to 849.6 billion yuan, up 13.2 percent; and that at county level or below were 414.7 billion yuan, up 11.1 percent. The sales volume of f

Instituto Nacional de Estat?tica de Portugal (INE) released the Consumer Prices Index for Janurary 2006. It reported that in January, the goods and services included in the Portuguese Consumer Price Index (CPI) cost on average 2.6 percent more than in January 2005, the same as in the previous month. The core inflation index, which excludes energy components and fresh unprocessed food products and intends to reflect price growth trends, rose at a lower rate than the CPI. Compared with January 200

NEW DELHI - Despite the substantial nuclear cooperation deal, sealed by visiting President George W Bush earlier this month, trade growth between India and China has been so rapid that the United States may lose out to China as India's largest trading partner within a few years. India's bilateral trade with China in 2005 set a new record at US$18.71 billion, up nearly 38% from 2004. India had set a target of $20 billion by 2008, but that could be achieved well in advance. India's exports to Chin

The growth rate of China's textile exports is expected to fall from last year's 20.7 percent increase to around 15 percent this year, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).NDRC predicts the total industrial output value of the nation's key textile enterprises will grow by about 20 percent in 2006, a decrease of 6 percentage points from the growth rate in 2005, Monday's Shanghai Securities News said.The report attributed the lower growth rate to the export limits impo

Ho Chi Minh City Export Center has hosted a leather, footwear, textile and garment export fair that began on Saturday, March 11 2006, showcasing most modern and latest items. Vu Thi Kim Hanh, Director, informed that the Investment and Trade Promotion Center and, the Shoes and Leather Association plan to conduct as well as participate in special programs to attract overseas customers. Training programs and trade expos will be organized in HCMC and Dusseldorf, Germany, in July as well as at

The value of bilateral trade between the two countries reached nearly US$8.2bil last year. Vietnam's exports to Japan earned $4.56bil, an increase of 20.3% over 2004 while the country imported $3.6bil of goods from Japan, a 15,3% increase from the previous year, the office reported. Vietnam exported fresh flowers, high-quality clothing and processed food to the Japanese market last year, in addition to traditional products including garments, seafood, crude oil, electric cables, coal, furniture

According to recently released US department of Commerce data, US apparel imports in January from China have clearly been hit by large falls in sensitive quota categories. This comes following embargoes last year created a sense of uncertainty amongst US retailers. Orders have instead been redirected to other low-cost Asian producers such as Bangladesh and India. Apparel imports from China into the US have been affected by significant decreases in limited categories, the US Department of Comm

The Brazilian govenment will begin to control the entry of Chinese textile products starting on April 3. The voluntary restriction accord, settled between Brazil and China on March 3, will prevail between 2006 and 2008. The accord establishes limits for 8 types of Chinese imports: velvets, embroidered goods, knitted shirts, polyester textured threads, sythetic fibers, silk fabrics, sweaters, and pullovers. The 8 groups cover 76 different items that correspond to 76% of the imports in this area.O

Chinese textile industry is expected to record a 20 percent rise in value earnings and 10 percent increase in yarn and chemical fibre production in 2006 over last year.As for the exports, a 15 percent growth in textile and garment exports is foreseen.China Textile Industry Association reported that the emphasis will be on industrial restructuring, upgrading and independent innovation.Industry will need to tackle problems like inadequate independent innovation capacity, acute structural contradic

A senior Commerce Official of Chinese Ministry is urging the European Union to reconsider its proposed sanction on Chinese shoes imports.The EU's proposed plan to impose anti-dumping duty on imported Chinese shoes is unjust and lack of legitimacy, said Wang Shichun, Director-General of the Commerce Ministry's bureau of fair trade for imports and exports.He said that the Chinese side urged the EU to consider the reasonable requests of the accused enterprises, fully and reasonably reassess and jud