Export quotas

THE government has issued a total of 19.33 million tons of refined fuel export quotas under the general trade category, all to State firms, in the second batch of quotas issued this year, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the grants.

Top State refiner Sinopec was allotted the largest amount at 8.23 million tons, followed by China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), which was granted 6.67 million tons, Sinochem Corp. at 2.3 million tons and CNOOC with 2.03 million tons.

Canton Fair

CHINA’S largest trade fair concluded its 123th session Saturday in Guangzhou, reporting more foreign buyers and deals.

The China Import and Export Fair, known as the Canton Fair, had received 203,346 buyers from 214 countries and regions by Thursday, said fair spokesman Xu Bing. The number of buyers, the largest in five years, represented an increase of 5.3 percent from last spring session, Xu said. Boosted by the rise in buyers, the export turnover reached 189.2 billion yuan (US$30 billion), up 3.1 percent year on year and also the highest among spring sessions in four years.

Excavator sales

SALES by China’s major excavator producers expanded faster in April, adding to evidence that economic activity remains strong.

The country’s 25 leading excavator makers sold 26,561 digging machines in April, up 84.5 percent year on year, compared with a 78.9-percent increase in March, data from the China Construction Machinery Association showed yesterday. More than 25,000 machines were sold in the domestic market, up 83.2 percent year on year.