A Questionnaire-based Survey: Analysis on Export Growth of Foreign Trade Enterprises

By Zhao Jinping & Zhao Fujun, Research Team on "Analysis on Foreign Trade and Economic Situation", Research Department of Foreign Economic Relations of DRC

Research Report No 157, 2013 (Total 4406)

A questionnaire-based survey was conducted on present export growth related to 225 foreign trade enterprises in more than 20 cities across the country in June of 2013. As shown by the survey results, exports are currently experiencing a slow growth on the whole, small enterprises are encountering a more severe export predicament than large and medium-sized enterprises, the export cost for half of the enterprises continues to increase, export prices have been increased at large, most export enterprises are being embarrassed at a low export profitability, orders for the enterprises have increased, the export situation over the whole year is likely to be in line with the previous year or to improve slightly, and enterprises have great expectations over the government's adoption of proactive measures to effectively hold in check the comprehensive costs and the rising exchange rate and trade frictions.

I. Basic Facts about the Enterprises Surveyed

225 valid questionnaires were collected from the respondents. Of the total, 100 were telephone-based questionnaires and 125 were interview-based questionnaires. Among the enterprises surveyed, private enterprises accounted for the biggest proportion of 44.4% in terms of type; small enterprises with 500 employees or fewer made up the highest percentage of 54.2% in terms of size; the number of enterprises in Beijing ranked first accounting for 22.2% in terms of region; the number of enterprises in Guangdong ranked second, making up 18.7%; and in terms of export market, the number of enterprises exporting goods to Europe made up 38.7%, the number of enterprises exporting goods to the United States made up 29.3%, and the number of enterprises exporting goods to Japan, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and to ASEAN countries made up 14.2%, 8.4% and 7.1% respectively. In terms of industry, the number of enterprises engaged in the business of textile and garments, food, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, materials and machineries made up 4.4%, 5.8%, 8%, 21.8% and 20.4% respectively.

II. Export Growth of the Enterprises Surveyed from January through May This Year

Survey results present the following features in terms of the export growth of the enterprises surveyed from January through May this year.

1. Exports for half of the enterprises broke even with the same period of the previous year

Survey findings show that from January to May this year the number of enterprises breaking even in export growth over the same period of the previous year accounted for 50.4% and the number of enterprises with increased export volume (including those with a growth rate of 5%~20% or above) accounted for 36.8%. On the whole, the first half of the year saw a similar or slightly better export growth momentum as compared to the same period of 2012. For example, the survey results indicate that the number of enterprises with increased export growth made up 36.8%, up 16.8 percentage points as compared to the percentage of 20% during the same period of 2012; and the number of enterprises experiencing an export slump made up 12.8%, down 24.9 percentage points as compared to 37.7% recorded during the same period of 2012. However, the number of enterprises that maintained basically the same export volume as in 2012 increased, and made up more than half of the enterprises surveyed. As sample enterprises surveyed were relatively typical, the survey results also indicate that since this year China's export growth has remained pregnant with grim prospects on the whole, showing some difference from the expected growth target of 8%.

Table 1 Export Growth of Enterprises Surveyed

Option	Proportion of Enterprises Surveyed (%)
	Survey Results Obtained in June 2012	Survey Results Obtained in June 2013
Encountering Drastic Slump (-20% or higher)	4.4	1.7
Reduced (-5%~20%)	33.3	11.1
Breaking Even (-5%~5%)	42.3	50.4
Increased (5%~20%)	20.0	30.6
Increased Significantly (20% or higher)	0	6.2
Total	100.0	100.0

2. Small enterprises faced a more serious prospect for export growth than large and medium-sized enterprises

Survey results reveal that from January through May this year the number of enterprises with 500 employees or fewer that maintained the same export volume as in the same period last year accounted for 52.9%, being higher than the average level of the enterprises surveyed; the number of enterprises undergoing an export reduction or drastic reduction made up a total of 15.4%, being higher than 4.7 percentage points and 6.7 percentage points higher respectively than those of the large and medium-sized enterprises; on the other hand, the number of small enterprises with increased export or largely increased export accounted only for 31.7%, being 4.1 percentage points and 20.5 percentage points lower respectively than those of large and medium-sized enterprises. On the whole, small enterprises faced a much worse export situation than large and medium-sized enterprises.

Table 2 Export Growth of Surveyed Enterprises with Different Scale

Option	Proportion of Enterprises Surveyed (%)
	Small Enterprises (500 persons or fewer)	Medium-Sized Enterprises (500~5,000 persons)	Large Enterprises (5,000 persons or more)
Encountering Drastic Slump (-20% or higher)	1.6	1.8		2.2
Reduced (-5%~20%)	13.8	8.9		6.5
Breaking Even (-5%~5%)	52.9	53.5		39.1
Increased (5%~20%)	26.0	30.4		43.5
Increased Significantly (20% or higher)	5.7	5.4		8.7
Total	100.0	100.0		100.0

3. Textile, garment and material export grew slowly

According to the questionnaire-based survey, the number of enterprises with decreased export of textile, garment, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, materials and relevant products all exceeded 10%, posing a heavy pressure of downturn export; but in view of the enterprises increased export or largely increased export, the number of enterprises involved in export of other products, textiles, garments and materials made up a lower proportion. On the whole, growth of export of textiles, garments, materials and other products faced a grim prospect for growth among all export commodities. Especially for enterprises involved in the export of other commodities making up a proportion of 48.4% among all enterprises, the number of enterprises with decreased export or large decreased export compared with the same period of the previous year accounted for a total of 15.8%; the number of enterprises with basically the same amount of export compared with the same period last year accounted for 51.9%; and the number of enterprises with increased export or largely increased export only accounted for 32.3%, imposing a most pronounced impact on the slowdown of the average export growth level.

Table 3 Export Growth of Enterprises Surveyed with Different Trades

Option	Proportion of Enterprises Surveyed (%)
	Food	Textile and Garments	Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals	Materials		Machinery		Other
Encountering Drastic Slump (-20% or higher)	0.0	0.0	5.9	0.0	2.2		2.8
Reduced (-5%~20%)	0.0	18.8	11.8	13.0	2.2		13.0
Breaking Even (-5%~5%)	42.9	37.5	17.6	41.3	53.3		51.9
Increased (5%~20%)	42.9	31.3	52.9	41.3	28.9		25.0
Increased Significantly (20% or higher)	14.2	12.4	11.8	4.4	13.4		7.3
Total	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0		100.0