China reported strong commodities purchases last month, underlining the strength of the country’s demand for raw materials as traders take advantage of falling prices.

　　中國公布了強勁的月度大宗商品進口數(shù)據(jù)，表明中國對原材料的需求極其強勁，原因是交易商趁著價格下滑大舉買進。

　　Chinese copper imports hit a 16-month high of 380,526 tonnes, while iron ore imports reached their highest level since January at 61m tonnes. However, imports of oil were down from August – and 12 percent lower from a year earlier – at 5m barrels a day.

　　9月份中國銅進口量為380526噸，創(chuàng)16個月新高；鐵礦石進口量6100萬噸，為今年1月以來最高水平。但石油進口量比8月份有所下滑，同比則下降12%，為日均500萬桶。

　　The release of monthly import data by the General Administration of Customs came as official US data on Thursday showed that Chinese traders made large purchases of corn earlier this week.

　　中國海關總署公布月度進口數(shù)據(jù)之前，美國周四出爐的官方數(shù)據(jù)顯示，本周早些時候，中國交易商購買了大批玉米期貨。

　　The US Department of Agriculture said that US companies sold at least 900,000 tonnes of corn to China for delivery in 2011-12, nearly half what the USDA estimates that China would buy overseas next year. The strong purchases suggest that China sees the correction in commodities prices as an opportunity to build inventories, helping to set a de facto floor in prices for raw materials from base metals to agricultural commodities.

　　美國農業(yè)部表示，美國企業(yè)向中國出售了至少90萬噸2011-12年交割的玉米，接近美國農業(yè)部所估計的中國明年玉米進口量的一半。強勁的購買活動似乎表明，中國把大宗商品價格的回調視作擴大庫存的好機會，這有助于為各種原材料（從基礎金屬到農業(yè)大宗商品）的價格構筑事實上的底部。

　　Copper, which hit a 14-month low of $6,635 a tonne at the start of October, was at $7,330.25 on the London Metal Exchange in late European trading Thursday, while Brent crude, which fell below the $100 support level earlier this month, was fluctuating at $110 a barrel.

　　10月初銅價跌至每噸6635美元的14個月低點，而周四歐洲交易尾段倫敦金屬交易所(LME)期銅報每噸7330.25美元。布倫特原油(Brent)本月早些時候曾跌破100美元支撐位，目前徘徊在110美元上下。

　　Beijing’s monthly import data are closely watched as a signal of demand strength in the world’s second-largest economy. The world’s biggest consumer of commodities had a quiet start to the year in terms of commodities purchases and there had been fears the trend would continue.

　　外界密切關注中國的月度進口數(shù)據(jù)，借以了解這個世界第二大經(jīng)濟體的需求狀況。今年年初，這個世界頭號大宗商品消費國在大宗商品采購方面表現(xiàn)低調，人們一度擔心這個趨勢會持續(xù)下去。

　　A slowdown of demand would shape not just the outlook for commodities such as copper, oil, cotton and iron ore, but the share price performance of mining and oil companies, including BHP Billiton, Vale of Brazil and ExxonMobil.

　　如果中國需求放緩，影響的不僅是銅、石油、棉花和鐵礦石等大宗商品的前景，還有必和必拓(BHP Billiton)、巴西淡水河谷(Vale)和?？松梨?ExxonMobil)等礦業(yè)企業(yè)和石油公司的股價表現(xiàn)。

　　The import data of commodities was broadly strong, even if crude oil showed signs of weakness.

　　中國大宗商品進口數(shù)據(jù)整體上表現(xiàn)強勁，只有原油數(shù)據(jù)顯得疲軟。

　　Imports of iron ore, a key ingredient in steelmaking and a proxy for broader economic activity, were stronger than expected, as traders took advantage of lower prices. After flirting with highs near $200 a tonne in February, iron ore prices have fallen to about $160 a tonne this week.

　　鐵礦石進口量超過預期，原因是交易商趁著價格下跌的機會買進。鐵礦石是一種主要鋼鐵生產(chǎn)原料，同時也是整體經(jīng)濟活動的風向標。今年2月，鐵礦石價格曾逼近每噸200美元高位，到了本周已跌至每噸160美元左右。