China's imports and exports of copper (including unwrought copper and copper products) went down 4.3 percent year-on-year to 3.257 million tonnes in 2008, as financial crisis had bitten into demand both at home and abroad, the General Administration of Customs said on Saturday.

The total included 2.637 million tonnes of imports, down 5.1 percent, and exports and 620,000 tonnes of exports, down 0.8 percent.

Of the total imports and exports, foreign-funded companies accounted for 54 percent, or 1.759 million tonnes, down 7.8 percent. Their imports were 1.398 million tonnes, down 9.5 percent, and their exports were 361,000 tonnes, down 0.6 percent.

The leading suppliers for the Chinese mainland were Chile, Taiwan province, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), and top export destinations were Hong Kong, ROK, the United States, the European Union and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members.

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2009)