Study on the Embodied Electricity in the International Trade of China

This paper estimates the embodiments of electricity associated with international trade of China so as to give a more complete and balanced picture of China's total electricity consumption. A trend covering years 1995-2006 is carried out to study the development of electricity utility efficiency and electricity consumption pattern associated with Chinese exports and imports. According to our results, besides the year 1996, both direct and indirect electricity embodied in Chinese exported commodities increases over the period under study. From 1995 to 2006, Chinese direct electricity trade balance is in surplus for six years and in deficit for six years, while the total electricity trade balance is in deficit for 11 years except in minor surplus in 1996. The electricity used through manufacture in export-related sectors accounts for a large proportion of the nation's total electricity demand, indicating that export-related production is a main reason for China's electricity consumption.