Demand in the logistics sector will rise 15 percent year on year in China in 2007, according to the China Logistics Information Center.

The sector turned over 59.7 trillion yuan (7.65 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2006, up 17.1 percent over the previous year in comparable prices, mainly because of fast growth in shipping of industrial products and imported goods.

Industrial products contributed 52 trillion yuan, up 16.4 percent, while imported goods 6.5 trillion yuan, up 25.2 percent.

Expenditures on shipping were estimated at 3.84 trillion yuan last year, up 13.2 percent. The costs are expected to grow at least 11 percent in 2007 due to rising oil prices and increasing labor costs.

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