Chinese mainland exported 1.1 billion U.S. dollars worth of washing machines and dryers in 2005, up 74 percent year-on-year, according to Global Sources' China Sourcing Report released on Friday.

"Exports from the Chinese mainland are surging even as global sales have been slowing," said Global Sources' General Manager of Content Development, Michael Kleist.

"For instance, while worldwide sales of washing machines grew by 2 percent in 2005, China's export volume grew by 51 percent," he said.

The survey shows 64 percent are focused on developing energy- efficient models, while 20 percent are working on the development of water-saving models.

"Rising energy costs have increased demand for energy-efficient products, many China manufacturers are focused on meeting this demand," Kleist said.

The 105-page report includes detailed profiles of 51 Chinese mainland manufacturers and features a product gallery with 170 top- selling export models. It also highlights production and pricing forecasts, with in-depth reports on major supply centers in

Chinese mainland.

Global Sources' China Sourcing Reports provide proprietary market information from extensive factory visits and in-person interviews with China manufacturers. They help buyers make better- informed purchasing decisions.

Global Sources is one of the leading business-to-business (B2B) media company, which provides sourcing information to volume buyers and integrated marketing services to suppliers. It helps a community of over 484,000 active buyers source more profitably from complex, overseas supply markets.

Source: Xinhua