The following is excerpted from the 23 February 2011 edition of the "American Shipper".

China’s Ministry of Commerce is projecting total foreign trade to grow 21.4 percent in 2011 to $3.6 trillion, according to a report from China Intelligence Online.

Export volume is forecast by the ministry to rise 20 percent to $1.9 trillion, while import volume is expected to rise 23 percent to $1.7 trillion.

China’s total import and export value to the United States is expected to be about $464.5 billion in 2011, a 20.5 percent increase, the report said. Export volume is forecast to increase 20 percent to about $340 billion, while imports are forecast to grow 22 percent to $124.5 billion.