jìnchūkǒu: 进出口 - Import and Export, Trade

• Keywords: jinchukou, 进出口, import and export China, Chinese for trade, China trade, 进出口公司, jinchukou gongsi, learn Chinese business terms, HSK 4 vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn about the essential Chinese business term for “import and export,” 进出口 (jìnchūkǒu). This crucial vocabulary is the key to understanding China's massive role in global trade and its modern economy. This guide provides a deep dive into 进出口, breaking down its literal character meanings, its cultural significance in post-reform China, and its practical use in business contexts, such as in an “import-export company” (进出口公司, jìnchūkǒu gōngsī).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jìn chū kǒu
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: The business or process of importing and exporting goods.
• In a Nutshell: 进出口 (jìnchūkǒu) is a wonderfully literal term. It combines the characters for “enter,” “exit,” and “port/opening.” Think of it as the physical gateway through which goods flow in and out of a country. While in English “trade” can feel abstract, 进出口 evokes the concrete reality of ships, containers, and customs checkpoints that form the backbone of the global supply chain.

• 进 (jìn): To enter, to advance. This character shows a person walking (the `辶` radical) towards a `井` (jǐng), which originally represented a well. It signifies moving forward or entering.
• 出 (chū): To exit, to go out. This character is a pictograph of a plant sprouting from the ground (`凵`), vividly illustrating the idea of emerging or coming out.
• 口 (kǒu): Mouth, opening, port. Originally a pictograph of a mouth, in this context, it refers to an opening or a port—a gateway to the country.

Together, 进 (enter) - 出 (exit) - 口 (port) literally means “enter-exit port,” perfectly describing the activity of goods moving through a nation's borders.

The term 进出口 (jìnchūkǒu) is inseparable from the story of modern China. Following the “Reform and Opening Up” (改革开放, gǎigé kāifàng) policy initiated in the late 1970s, China transformed its economy by embracing global trade. 进出口 became the engine of this transformation. In the West, “import/export” is a standard business term. In China, 进出口 carries the added weight of national development and newfound prosperity. For decades, the growth of 进出口 volume was a primary metric of the nation's success, reported nightly on the news and discussed by everyone from economists to factory workers. Compared to the broader English term “trade,” 进出口 feels more grounded and logistical. It's less about the abstract economic theory of trade and more about the tangible, physical reality of it: the ports buzzing with activity, the endless lines of container ships, and the customs offices stamping documents. It represents the hands-on, industrious nature of China's role as the “world's factory.”

进出口 (jìnchūkǒu) is a formal and standard term used widely in business, government, and economic news.

• In Business: It's most frequently seen in company names. A very common type of business is a 进出口公司 (jìnchūkǒu gōngsī), or an “Import-Export Company.” You will also hear people talk about 进出口业务 (jìnchūkǒu yèwù), meaning “import-export business/operations.”
• In Economics: News reports and government documents constantly refer to 进出口总额 (jìnchūkǒu zǒng'é), the “total import-export value,” as a key indicator of economic health.
• Formality: The term is neutral and formal. It's the correct and standard word to use in any discussion about international trade in goods. You would not use it in a casual or slang context.

• Example 1:
  • 我们公司主要做进出口生意。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī zhǔyào zuò jìnchūkǒu shēngyi.
  • English: Our company mainly does import-export business.
  • Analysis: A very common and standard sentence you would hear in a business introduction. `做…生意 (zuò…shēngyi)` means “to do…business.”
• Example 2:
  • 他在一家上海的进出口公司工作。
  • Pinyin: Tā zài yī jiā Shànghǎi de jìnchūkǒu gōngsī gōngzuò.
  • English: He works at an import-export company in Shanghai.
  • Analysis: Here, 进出口 acts as an adjective to describe the type of company (公司, gōngsī).
• Example 3:
  • 今年我们国家的进出口总额又增长了。
  • Pinyin: Jīnnián wǒmen guójiā de jìnchūkǒu zǒng'é yòu zēngzhǎng le.
  • English: Our country's total import and export value has grown again this year.
  • Analysis: This is typical of language used in economic news reports. `总额 (zǒng'é)` means “total amount/value.”
• Example 4:
  • 进出口商品都需要经过海关检查。
  • Pinyin: Jìnchūkǒu shāngpǐn dōu xūyào jīngguò hǎiguān jiǎnchá.
  • English: All import and export goods must go through customs inspection.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the logistical process associated with the term. `海关 (hǎiguān)` means “customs.”
• Example 5:
  • 政府出台了新的进出口管理政策。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ chūtái le xīn de jìnchūkǒu guǎnlǐ zhèngcè.
  • English: The government has issued new import and export management policies.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates the term's use in a governmental or regulatory context.
• Example 6:
  • 这家工厂生产的产品全部用于出口，不进口任何原材料。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā gōngchǎng shēngchǎn de chǎnpǐn quánbù yòngyú chūkǒu, bù jìnkǒu rènhé yuáncáiliào.
  • English: The products made by this factory are all for export; it doesn't import any raw materials.
  • Analysis: This example shows the constituent parts of the word, `出口 (chūkǒu)` for export and `进口 (jìnkǒu)` for import, used separately.
• Example 7:
  • 深圳是一个重要的进出口港口。
  • Pinyin: Shēnzhèn shì yī gè zhòngyào de jìnchūkǒu gǎngkǒu.
  • English: Shenzhen is an important import-export port.
  • Analysis: Connects the term directly to a physical location, a `港口 (gǎngkǒu)` or “port.”
• Example 8:
  • 全球供应链问题影响了我们的进出口业务。
  • Pinyin: Quánqiú gōngyìngliàn wèntí yǐngxiǎng le wǒmen de jìnchūkǒu yèwù.
  • English: Global supply chain problems have affected our import-export business.
  • Analysis: Places the term in a modern, global business context. `业务 (yèwù)` means business activities or operations.
• Example 9:
  • 你对进出口流程熟悉吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ duì jìnchūkǒu liúchéng shúxī ma?
  • English: Are you familiar with the import-export process?
  • Analysis: A practical question you might ask a potential employee or business partner. `流程 (liúchéng)` means “process” or “procedure.”
• Example 10:
  • 维持进出口平衡对经济稳定至关重要。
  • Pinyin: Wéichí jìnchūkǒu pínghéng duì jīngjì wěndìng zhìguān zhòngyào.
  • English: Maintaining a balance of imports and exports is crucial for economic stability.
  • Analysis: A high-level sentence discussing economic policy. `平衡 (pínghéng)` means “balance.”

• `进出口` vs. `贸易` (màoyì): This is the most common point of confusion.
  • 进出口 (jìnchūkǒu) specifically refers to the import and export of physical goods. It's about logistics.
  • 贸易 (màoyì) means “trade” in a much broader sense. It can include goods, services, and financial assets.
  • Example: You would say 进出口公司 (jìnchūkǒu gōngsī) for a company that moves products, but you say 世界贸易组织 (Shìjiè Màoyì Zǔzhī) for the “World Trade Organization,” because it deals with the rules of trade in general, not just shipping boxes.
• Not for Personal Actions: 进出口 refers to the business or large-scale activity. An individual buying a product from overseas is not “doing jìnchūkǒu.”
  • Incorrect: 我进出口了一本书。(Wǒ jìnchūkǒu le yī běn shū.)
  • Correct (for an individual): 我从国外买了一本书。(Wǒ cóng guówài mǎi le yī běn shū.) - “I bought a book from abroad.”
  • Correct (for a business): 我们公司进口了一批书。(Wǒmen gōngsī jìnkǒu le yī pī shū.) - “Our company imported a batch of books.” (Note the use of `进口` for just importing).
• Use `进口` and `出口` for One-Way Actions: When you are only talking about importing or only exporting, use the individual words `进口 (jìnkǒu)` or `出口 (chūkǒu)`. 进出口 (jìnchūkǒu) implies the two-way nature of the business as a whole.

• 进口 (jìnkǒu): To import; an import. The “enter port” component of the main term.
• 出口 (chūkǒu): To export; an export. The “exit port” component of the main term.
• 贸易 (màoyì): Trade. The broader economic concept that encompasses 进出口.
• 外贸 (wàimào): Foreign trade. A common and slightly less formal synonym for international trade business.
• 海关 (hǎiguān): Customs. The government authority that inspects and regulates all 进出口 activities.
• 关税 (guānshuì): Tariff; customs duty. The tax levied on imported (and sometimes exported) goods.
• 港口 (gǎngkǒu): Port; harbor. The physical location where 进出口 takes place.
• 集装箱 (jízhuāngxiāng): Shipping container. The quintessential object of modern 进出口.
• 顺差 (shùnchā): Trade surplus (lit. “favorable difference”). When a country's exports exceed its imports.
• 逆差 (nìchā): Trade deficit (lit. “adverse difference”). When a country's imports exceed its exports.