Machinery exports to see 7% growth

Machinery manufacturers from China are expected to maintain a 7 percent year-on-year growth in exports this year on the back of the Belt and Road Initiative, rebound of global infrastructure, manufacturing and energy markets, industry officials said on Friday.

Total exports by the country's machinery sector stood at $406 billion in 2017, up 8.33 percent from 2016, while imports during the same year jumped 12.31 percent to $306.3 billion, according to data released by Beijing-based China Machinery Industry Federation.

All its 13 main sub-sectors gained encouraging year-on-year growth in foreign trade business, with double-digit growth in exports of agricultural and construction machinery, machine tools and automobiles last year.