Government and Policy

China to levy low tariffs on 600+ commodities in 2010

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-15 15:59

BEIJING: China is to impose temporarily low import tariffs on more than 600 commodities next year, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced Tuesday.

The targeted commodities comprised resource commodities, including coal, granite, and phosphate ore; key components for optic communications; medical products, including plasma and vaccines; and some advanced production machines, the MOF said in a statement.

It did not specify the duration and tariff rates.

The statement said the government would further lower import tariffs on six commodities, including fresh strawberries from January 1, a final move to honor the commitments of cutting tariffs it made on joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, said the statement.

But it gave neither the names of the other five commodities nor tariff rates on the six commodities.

The general tariff level would be left unchanged at 9.8 percent next year, the same as the previous three years, said the statement.

The limited scope and margin of lower tariffs was the reason the general tariff level was left unchanged.

China's general tariff level stood at 15.3 percent in 2002.

The tariff level for farm produce had been reduced from 18.8 percent in 2002 to 15.2 percent, and for industrial products, it had been cut from 14.7 percent to 8.9 percent, said the statement.