China's service trade up 13.4% Jan-Sept

BEIJING - China's service trade grew 13.4 percent year on year in the first nine months of 2013 to reach $390.5 billion, official data showed on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, service exports rose 6.8 percent from the same period last year to $146.4 billion, while imports surged 17.8 percent to $244.1 billion.

The service trade deficit expanded to $97.7 billion, up 39.4 percent. Tourism and transportation service sectors contributed the most to the total deficit, ending $58.3 billion and $41.7 billion in the red, respectively.

Meanwhile, the trade volume of the transportation service sector totaled $98.5 billion, up 6.4 percent year on year, while tourism service sector trade totaled $129.3 billion, up 14.5 percent.

The insurance, consulting, as well as patent and franchise service sectors saw exports grow 21.7 percent, 19.9 percent and 16.7 percent, respectively. Computer and information service imports surged 53.6 percent.