UK has been the second largest trade partner of China among EU countries. Statistics from the Chinese side show that in the year of 2000 the Sino-British trade volume reached US$9.90 billion, 25.8% higher than that of the same period of previous year, of which China's export and import volume stood at US$6.31 billion and US$35.9 billion, a growth rate of 29.3% and 20% respectively over the same period of 1999. By October 2001, bilateral trade volume approximate US$8.52 billion, 4.7% higher than that of the same period of last year.