For days sayings have been going round that the Russian customs imposed discriminating measures on imported Chinese goods. But relevant official policy was finally brought to light on April 20. As reported by "businessman", a Russia-based newspaper, the State Customs Committee of Russia had ordered to increase custom duty for Chinese goods. According to this the duty will rise to at least USD 3.5 per kilogram and it will make the price of Chinese goods to rise by 50 percent.

Collecting import duty by weight regardless of the type of goods is against international trade conventions. What's more serious is that such a high duty rate will prevent a lot of Chinese goods from entering the Russian market. It is not difficult to imagine the affects the measure will exert on the thriving Sino-Russian trade.

After learning the oral notice of the Russian State Customs Committee for ports to restrict Chinese goods, and collect 30 percent custom duty or USD 3.5 per kilogram from Chinese goods, the Chinese Embassy to Russia showed great concern and carried out investigation without delay, said Wang Junwen, economic-commercial Minister-Counselor with Chinese Embassy to Russia.

A number of Chinese enterprises has already suffered from Russia's discriminating action. Officials with the State Customs Committee of Russia confirmed to the official of the Chinese embassy that Russia had orally deployed the above measures. The Russian media's report made it known to the public.

Wang said that China has so far received no formal notice from Russia. This measure was not in line with the principle of resolving problems through negotiation. It was a unilateral action that harmed China's interests and damaged the basis of trade cooperation between the two countries.

When dealing with relations between this policy and so-called "grey clearance", Wang said, Russian and Chinese governments attached importance to the issue of non-governmental trade. And both sides realized the importance and necessity of resolving the problem. During the meeting between Chinese and Russian Prime ministers in last September, both countries agreed to focus on standardizing non-governmental trade, and setting up a working-group for jointly handling the job in order to improve the trade order. China hoped to start the group's work as soon as possible, and had assigned Ministry of Commerce to lead other departments concerned to talk the matter over with Russia. However, the concerned Russian officials always refused to set up the group under the pretext they could not find a department leading the group. Russia enacted their measure even before the negotiation to take place. Does this mean that China can do likewise by adopting a unilateral action?

With regard to the report that this is a punitive measure for China's opposition to Russia's accession to the WTO, Wang holds that it is groundless. China has always been actively supporting Russia to join the WTO. Leaders of Russia expressed their gratefulness to China on various occasions.

China has become the second largest trade partner of Russia outside the CIS. The non-governmental trade between Russia and China is thriving, and the perspective is bright, but the problem ought to be solved sincerely, Wang says.

Source: People's Daily Online