Latest Customs statistics show that China has imported 120 million tons crude oil in the first 11 months this year, with the yearly total expected to hit 130 million tons.

Though the 11-month import increased 4.4 percent year-on-year, China Customs said the growth rate of China's crude oil import in 2005 will be lower than the previous two years.

According to the Customs, China imported a total of 28.25 million tons oil products from the overseas market in the past 11 months, down 17.9 percent compared with the same period of last year.

In the period, China's imports of electromechanical products increased 14.8 percent to 313.9 billion US dollars, while the imports of chemical products hit 71 billion dollars.

A total of 145,000 vehicles were imported into China in the last 11 months, 9 percent less than the same period of last year, and the imports of steel in the period also dropped 12.1 percent to 24 million tons, said the Customs.

The Customs statistics also show China increased imports of coal, iron ore and soybean in the first 11 months.

Source: Xinhua