The Chinese customs collected duties totaling 208.5 billion yuan (US$25.4 billion) in the first seven months of this year, up 52.38 percent year-on-year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

The figure represents 80.5 percent of the tariff collection target set for the whole year.

In July, the administration reported a monthly record of 33.8 billion yuan (US$4.1 billion) in net overall tariffs to the public purse, up 45.87 percent on a yearly basis.

Experts attributed the increase to the country's rapid and healthy economic development in the first half of this year, whichs timulated imports.

The five major contributors of import duties were machinery and electronic products, automobiles and parts, crude and refined oil, steel, and organic chemicals.

The administration's continued crackdown on smuggling facilitated the rapid growth of tariff revenue.

The customs collected 967 million yuan (US$117 million) worth of fines and confiscated goods in the seven months, up 2.44 percent.

(Xinhua News Agency August 5, 2003)