This Day, That Year

Item from March 31, 1996, in China Daily: While most foreign automakers are anticipating increased exports to China as new tariffs - 10 to 30 percentage points lower than former levels - come into effect, executives are more preoccupied with how to invigorate the currently slack market. ...

New tariff rates on cars become effective on April 1.

Owning an imported car is no longer a dream for Chinese customers, with the country's tariff on imported vehicles cut sharply from up to 220 percent in 1986 to 25 percent.