2018年CRI Chinese consumers' demands for imported goods remain high

 

The results of a recent survey by China's Ministry¹ of Commerce suggest that the demand of Chinese consumers for imported products remains² high, and that many of them are considering increasing their spending on imported goods in the future.

The report, looking at the supply and demand for consumer goods in China, shows that consumer demand for imported products remains high, with 20% of the survey respondents saying that 30% of their spending went towards imported goods.

"My daughter likes imported toys and snacks, like crisps and things like that," says one customer in Beijing.

"I prefer imported goods, such as drinks and daily necessities, since their quality is reliable," says another customer.

Popular imported products include cosmetics³, maternal⁴ and infant products, watches, eyeglasses, cars, and jewelry⁵.

When they're buying imported products, consumers often consider factors like their safety, quality and the brand name.

Bai Ming, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, says that the high demand for imported goods is a sign of how quickly incomes are rising in China.

"In the past, people would often compare prices when going shopping due to their limited income. But now, they will attach more importance to the quality and brand of the imported goods, since their livelihood⁶ has improved," says Bai.

The survey also showed that about 31% of the respondents expect to increase their spending on imported goods over the next six months.

This is good news for retailers⁷, as 24.4% of the retailers who responded to the survey said that the sale of imported goods accounts for over half of their total sales.

Sales of passenger vehicles make up the largest share of the value of imported goods sold in China, followed by home furnishings, jewelry and electronic devices.

Chinese vendors⁸ reported that they expect to increase sales of more than 30 different imported products, such as wine, fresh fruits, and sportswear.

Zhang Jianping, an official with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, suggests that China should keep expanding its imports to keep up with consumer demand.

"The demand of Chinese consumers has continued to grow, as the country has a large middle-income consumer base. To further upgrade their consumption and meet their demands, we should actively⁹ expand imports. On the other hand, upgraded consumption can also boost economic growth," says Zhang.

On Wednesday, China's State Council decided¹⁰ to further cut import tariffs¹² for daily consumer goods starting July 1st.

The tariff¹¹ cuts will cover a variety of commodities including clothing and accessories, home appliances, detergents¹³, processed food, as well as cosmetics, medicines, and health products.

The move aims to expand the opening of the country's economy, better meet consumer demands and boost the quality of goods in the domestic market.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 cosmetics   

n.化妆品

参考例句：

• We sell a wide range of cosmetics at a very reasonable price. 我们以公道的价格出售各种化妆品。
• Cosmetics do not always cover up the deficiencies of nature. 化妆品未能掩饰天生的缺陷。

4 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

5 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

6 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

7 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

8 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

9 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 tariff   

n.关税，税率；(旅馆、饭店等)价目表，收费表

参考例句：

• There is a very high tariff on jewelry.宝石类的关税率很高。
• The government is going to lower the tariff on importing cars.政府打算降低进口汽车的关税。

12 tariffs   

关税制度； 关税( tariff的名词复数 )； 关税表； （旅馆或饭店等的）收费表； 量刑标准

参考例句：

• British industry was sheltered from foreign competition by protective tariffs. 保护性关税使英国工业免受国际竞争影响。
• The new tariffs have put a stranglehold on trade. 新的关税制对开展贸易极为不利。

13 detergents   

n.洗涤剂( detergent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Such detergents do not yellow the wool as alkali tends to do. 这种洗涤剂不会象碱那样使羊毛发黄。 来自辞典例句
• Development of detergents has required optimization of the surfactants structure. 发展洗涤剂时，要求使用最恰当的表面活性剂结构。 来自辞典例句