China: 'Buy local' clauses at the provincial level
Description
In some Chinese provinces 'buy local' clauses are often implemented discriminating against foreign products.
There have been reports that a number of eastern coastal provinces in China are giving priority to locally manufactured products (e.g. automobiles and home appliances) for local procurement and purchases and requiring companies to source raw materials or equipment locally. Many of these "encouragements" seem to be done through personal contacts rather than communicated through written form.
However, such 'provincial' protectionism affects both foreign and domestic companies. There is one report issued in a press conference that took place in Anhui province on 7 January 2009 and was made publicly available (http://www.ahzwgk.gov.cn/XxgkNewsHtml/OA001/200901/OA001011502200901001.html )
The Director of the economic and trade committee of Anhui province, Zhao Bingyun, announced eight measures that specifically spell out encouragements for provincial authorities and local enterprises to purchase products made locally.
Any Evidence-Based Deliberation:
| Question | Result |
|---|---|
| Is there anything in the public record to suggest that evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed measure was considered during official deliberations? | |
| Is there any evidence that alternatives to the proposed measure were considered? | |
| Is there anything in the public record that suggests that empirical evidence informed the comparison across the alternatives available to government? | |
| Was such evidence identified? | |
| Is such evidence publicly available? | |
| Did the official decision-maker in question provide an explanation as to why a chosen measure was favoured over alternatives? | |
| Is there any evidence to suggest that potentially affected trading partners were consulted before the measures were taken? | |
| Is there any evidence that safeguards have been put in place to ensure that implementation of the initiative is transparent and non-discriminatory? | |
| Did the government state its intention to review the measure within one year of implementation? |
Date Discovered:
Implemented: Yes
Date of inception: 7 Jan 2009
GTA Evaluation: Red
Source:
The report issued in a press conference that took place in Anhui province on 7 January 2009 and was made publicly available (http://www.ahzwgk.gov.cn/XxgkNewsHtml/OA001/200901/OA001011502200901001.... )
Government Response:
- 585 reads
