Center

New centres aim to help foreign trade

By Jiang Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-06-07 08:47

The centres will be responsible for collecting information on access standards to the target markets of Chinese companies such as technical standards, food safety standards, labour standards and intellectual property rights protection regulations.

They will then update guidebooks on the technical standards of major export destinations, Wei said.

The ministry released in 2005 the first batch of guidebooks detailing technical standards on export goods. The goods include honey, eel, leather goods, textile products, clothes, aluminium materials, air conditioners and electrical tools.

The ministry will release, by the end of 2006, 100 guidebooks on key export goods, which will involve an export volume of more than US$200 billion.

Wei expected that the booklets would help to minimize the negative effects of foreign technological barriers on China's exports.

The centres will give exporters information about important changes in access to major markets and provide them with advice and solutions.

Based on studies of foreign technological standards, the centres should also participate in drawing up domestic standards and globally adopted technological standards.

Wei said although China doubled its exports to US$762 billion in 2005, over the 2000 figure, the country is challenged by its lack of resources, shortage of core competitiveness and increasing trade frictions.

China's traditional competitive advantage in labour resources is also expected to be weakened in coming years as average wages continue to increase.