China's entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been
accompanied by a significant reduction in the number of
anti-dumping measures restricting its foreign trade. Ministry of
Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) figures show there
were just 47 cases in the first 10 months of WTO membership
compared with 67 in the previous full year.
An
expert explained that China now has access to WTO rules and working
mechanisms as a means of resolving international trade disputes.
This has helped exports by effectively improving China's foreign
trade environment.
Since becoming a WTO member, China has worked hard to fulfill its
commitments by reducing both tariff and non-tariff trade barriers.
Meanwhile China's trading partners have become bound by WTO rules
that serve to restrict their options in applying protectionist
measures against Chinese exports. So it is no surprise that China's
international trade environment should have seen some
improvement.
In
recent years China's main trading partners have not been slow to
take advantage of those anti-dumping and protectionist measures
that are allowed under WTO rules. They have used these to restrict
imports from China and protect their domestic industries. The
measures were taken against a background of a slowdown in global
economic development and the intense competition that this
generated.
In
the period from 1978 to 2001, some 33 countries and regions
introduced a total of 498 anti-dumping or other restrictive
measures. Together these affected over 4,000 Chinese products
representing some US$16 billion of exports. In 2001 alone, 17
countries and regions introduced a record 67 anti-dumping measures
against China.
WTO membership has made a difference to China's international trade
environment. China now has recourse not only to bilateral
negotiations, but also to multi-lateral negotiations and has an
option to appeal to the WTO to assist in settling disputes.
Bilateral disputes are commonly resolved by bilateral negotiations.
However not all disputes can be resolved in this way. In a case
which hit the headlines, the United States introduced new duties on
steel imports known as safeguard measures' brought in under section
201 of the US Trade Act of 1974. China appealed, using the WTO
dispute resolution mechanisms that exist to protect a member
nation's rights and interests. China has also successfully required
other countries to change their unfair trading practices under WTO
rules.
To
promote a fair trading environment for Chinese exporters,
government departments have engaged in comprehensive multi-level
negotiations with their foreign counterparts over the past year.
They have sought recognition of China's market economy status and
called on the other nations to amend or rescind their
discriminatory anti-dumping policies directed against China.
Considerable progress has been made in the negotiations and
anti-dumping charges against Chinese products are increasingly
failing to meet with success.
China now has comprehensive measures in place to alert its
exporters to anti-dumping and other restrictive or "safeguard"
problems. Assistance is also available with the legal issues
involved. Help has been provided by MOFTEC, China's overseas trade
institutes, foreign law offices, relevant agencies and foreign
importers.
(china.org.cn by Feng Yikun January 1, 2003)