RESTRICTED
Spec(88)13/Add.12
2 October 1992
Original: English
WORKING PARTY ON CHINA'S STATUS AS A CONTRACTING PARTY
Communication from China
The following document, entitled "Summary Document of the Existing Tariff and Non-Tariff Measures in China", dated September 1992, has been received from the Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China with the request that it be circulated to the members of the Working Party. China has indicated that because some of the measures listed in this document have been removed since its preparation, an update of the document will be submitted in advance of the next meeting of the Working Party.
SUMMARY DOCUMENT OF THE EXISTING TARIFF
AND NON-TARIFF MEASURES IN CHINA
Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade
September 1992
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
This Summary Document is intended to provide comprehensive information concerning all tariff and non-tariff measures applied in China irrespective of their consistency with GATT rules and disciplines. For the sake of convenience in the consolidation of all trade measures, this document has been prepared on the basis of the H.S. tariff schedule at the 8-digit level.
This document is prepared in response to the request of Ambassador Pierre-Louis Girard, Chairman of the GATT Working Party on China's Status as a Contracting Party, who sees this exercise as an essential step by China to meet its obligation to ensure the transparency of its trade laws, regulations and policies.
It should be noted that China's trade regime has been in the process of constant reform, and this document reflects drastic changes having taken place since the submission of the Memorandum on China's Foreign Trade Regime in 1987. It contains information on trade measures applicable through 1 April 1992, and will be updated as China implements its commitment of further reforms. It can serve as the basis for future periodic trade policy reviews when China resumes its contracting party status.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
- An "X" indicates that the measure specified at the top of the column is applied; when a measure is not applied the corresponding columns are left blank;
- The column "Import Plan" refers to those goods subject to the state import plans;
- In the column "State-Fixed Price", an "E" stands for ex-factory price, an "R" stands for retail price, and a "P" for the state-fixed purchasing price;
- In the columns "First and Second Categories", the goods for import and export subject to the First Category are exclusively handled by one or several designated foreign trade corporations, while the goods subject to the Second Category can be dealt with by other foreign trade corporations and enterprises having overseas trading rights. Here an "E" stands for export and an "I" stands for import;
- For "mandatory inspection", an "E" stands for export goods subject to mandatory inspection, and an "I" for import goods subject to mandatory inspection;
- The column "Import Control", where applicable, refers to imports subject to administrative approval.
ABBREVIATIONS IN THE COLUMN HEADINGS
MFN Most-Favoured-Nation Rates
GEN General Rates
Imp. Lic Import Licensing
Exp. Lic Export Licensing
Imp. Plan Import Plan
Fixed price State-Fixed Price
1st Ctg First Category
2nd Ctg Second Category
Mand Insp Mandatory Inspection
Exp. Rts Export Rates
Imp. Ctrl Import Control
LIST OF ARTICLES PROHIBITED FROM IMPORT
BY THE CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
1. Various types of weapons, ammunition and explosives;
2. Counterfeit banknotes and counterfeit negotiable securities;
3. Manuscripts, printed matter, films, photographs, discs, movies, sound recording tapes, video recording tapes, laser discs and computer discs, etc. which are pernicious to China's politics, economy, culture and morality;
4. Various deadly poisons;
5. Anaesthetic drugs and spiritual drugs to which people can become addicted, i.e. opium, morphine, heroin and marijuana, etc;
6. Animals, plants and their by-products with hazardous germs or pests;
7. Food, medicine, etc. which are obstructive to hygiene and infectious, coming from epidemic areas;
8. Renminbi (except for those dealt with in accordance with currency contracts or agreements) and Foreign Exchange Certificates are subject to relevant regulations;
9. Industrial garbage and daily household garbage (including worn clothes);
10. Dibromoethane.
(Tables not reproduced on diskette, see Secretariat.)