China: Revisions to export tariffs
Description
On 19 June 2009, the Tariff Policy Commission of the State Council released a comprehensive listing of changes to the People's Republic of China's export tariff policy.
The document, which contained all changes in an Appendix, detailed the changes in both tariffs and special tariffs on specific commodities. Provisional tariffs on 31 products were abolished, including those on wheat, rice, soybeans, various kinds of flour, sulfuric acid, wire and ball-shaped steel particles. Special tariffs on chalk, talc, ammonia, phosphorous, phosphate and various types of chemical fertilizers were also cancelled.
Export tariffs levied on metal goods, particularly those made from steel, were either kept constant or lowered by five or ten percentage points, while seasonal export tariffs on remaining categories of chemical fertilizer were amended to 10% year-round (the same rate as the low-season tariff levied under the previous system). The low-season for export tariffs on urea was lengthened, but the high season (when higher export tariffs are levied regardless of price) for two specific types of phosphate mixtures was increased by more than one month.
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? | No |
| Is there any evidence that alternatives to the proposed measure were considered? | No |
| Is there anything in the public record that suggests that empirical evidence informed the comparison across the alternatives available to government? | No |
| Was such evidence identified? | No |
| Is such evidence publicly available? | No |
| Did the official decision-maker in question provide an explanation as to why a chosen measure was favoured over alternatives? | No |
| Is there any evidence to suggest that potentially affected trading partners were consulted before the measures were taken? | No |
| Is there any evidence that safeguards have been put in place to ensure that implementation of the initiative is transparent and non-discriminatory? | No |
| Did the government state its intention to review the measure within one year of implementation? | No |
Date Discovered:
Implemented: Yes
Date of inception: 19 Jun 2009
GTA Evaluation: Amber
Source:
Ministry of Finance (People's Republic of China), "Notice of the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council on Adjusting Export Tariff of Some Commodities", 19 June 2009, http://www.mof.gov.cn/guanshuisi/zhengwuxinxi/zhengcefabu/200906/t200906...
Government Response:
- 1755 reads
