China lowers tariffs to boost high-quality growth, high-level opening-up

中国降低关税以助推高质量经济增长和高水平对外开放

Aerial photo taken on Dec. 18, 2021 shows a container ship by the Pacific international container terminal at the Tianjin Port of north China's Tianjin Municipality. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

2021年12月18号，图为航拍照片，展示了中国北方城市天津港口太平洋国际集装箱码头的一艘集装箱货轮。（新华网/赵子硕）

BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- A sweeping number of import items will enjoy lower tariffs next year as China has made new tariff adjustments for trade pacts, soon to take effect, amid efforts to improve the quality of life and boost opening up.

北京，12月24号（新华社）——随着中国为提高生活质量和扩大开放所做的努力，其对贸易协定进行了新的关税调整。而且这一调整很快就会生效，因此明年大量进口产品将享受更低的关税。

The Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council announced earlier this month to implement provisional tariffs that are lower than the most-favored-nation rates on 954 imported commodities starting Jan. 1, 2022. The figure saw an increase from 883 last year and 859 in 2019.

国务院关税税则委员会本月初宣布，自2022年1月1日起，对954种进口商品实施低于最惠国税率的暂定关税。这一数字较去年的883种和2019年的859种有所增加。

"Many of the imports on the list are heavily featured in people's daily lives so that foreign firms can benefit from China's development," said Mei Xinyu, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce.

商务部国际贸易经济合作研究院研究员梅新雨表示：“许多清单上的进口产品在人们的日常生活中占有重要地位，因此外资可以从中获益。

The country will also grant zero-tariff treatment on 98 percent of taxable items originating in the least-developed countries, according to the commission.

根据国务院关税税则委员会的说法，中国还将对原产于最不发达国家的98%的税目给予零关税待遇。

AIMING FOR HIGH QUALITY

追求高质量

According to experts and industry insiders, imports included in the adjustments tell tales of improving livelihood and industrial upgrade aimed at low-carbon outcomes, both traits of high-quality growth.

据专家和业内人士称，对进口产品的调整体现了改善民生和以低碳成果为目标的产业升级，这两个目标也是高质量增长的特征。

Tariffs on medical products such as a new cancer drug and artificial joints have been lowered -- a continuation of similar moves in recent years to reduce medical costs and bolster public health.

一种新型抗癌药物和人工关节等医疗产品的关税已经下调——这是近年来为降低医疗成本和促进公众健康而采取的类似举措的进一步延续。

Since 2018, China has either exempted or lowered tariffs on two batches of cancer drugs, artificial cardiac valves and hearing aids.

2018年以来，中国对两批抗癌药物、人工心脏瓣膜和助听器等医疗产品或免除或降低关税。

Tariffs on some aquatic products, baby clothing, artworks, ski gear are slashed to accommodate consumer demand for quality lifestyles and winter sports, said the commission.

该委员会表示，部分水产品、婴儿服装、艺术品、滑雪用具的关税将大幅下调，以满足消费者对高品质生活方式和冬季运动的需求。

The 954 products also include auto parts that help cut greenhouse gas emissions, as well as high-voltage cables for high-speed trains and fuel-cell components that are expected to bolster high-tech manufacturing.

这954种产品还包括有助于减少温室气体排放的汽车零部件，高速列车高压电缆和燃料电池零部件，预计这些产品将促进高科技制造业发展。

Meanwhile, the average tariff rate on 62 products of information technology will be slashed from 3.4 percent to 1.7 percent starting July 1, 2022.

同时，从2022年7月1日起，62种信息技术产品的平均关税税率将从3.4%降至1.7%。

These moves will help keep domestic industrial and supply chains stable, spur innovations and industrial upgrade, as well as advance low-carbon development, analysts and industry insiders say.

分析人士和业内人士表示，这些举措将有助于保持国内工业和供应链的稳定，促进创新和产业升级，以及推进低碳发展。

HIGH-LEVEL OPENING UP

高水平对外开放

The new adjustments follow China's overriding trend of tariff reduction in the past two decades. The country has cut its overall tariff rate from 15.3 percent in 2001 to 9.8 percent in 2010 to fulfill its accession commitment to the World Trade Organization (WTO), before bringing it further down to 7.4 percent currently.

新的调整遵循了中国在过去20年中压倒一切的降低关税的趋势。为履行加入世界贸易组织(WTO)的承诺，中国已将其总体关税税率从2001年的15.3%降至2010年的9.8%，然后再进一步降至目前的7.4%。

In latest efforts toward high-level opening up, China will impose conventional tariff rates on some products from 29 countries and regions in accordance with relevant trade agreements and preferential arrangements, resulting in lower tariffs on products from countries including New Zealand, Peru, Switzerland, Pakistan, Mauritius, and Costa Rica.

根据有关贸易协定和优惠协议，中国将对29个国家和地区的部分产品加征常规关税，降低新西兰，秘鲁，瑞士，巴基斯坦，毛里求斯，哥斯达黎加等国产品关税。

The country also introduced lower or zero tariffs in accordance with trade agreements under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the new free trade agreement between China and Cambodia, both to come into effect beginning 2022.

中国还根据《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》(RCEP)和中国与柬埔寨新的自由贸易协定（这两项协定都将于2022年开始生效）制定更低的关税或零关税。

While China had already made tariff cuts with certain members of the RCEP, the 2022 adjustments covered more products, showcasing China's commitment to tariff arrangements under the world's largest free trade agreement, said Cui Fan, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics.

对外经济贸易大学教授崔凡表示，尽管中国已经对RCEP的某些成员进行了关税削减。但2022年的调整涵盖了更多产品，践行了中国对全球最大自由贸易协定下关税安排的承诺。

"China's compliance to trade rules under the RCEP will help advance China's high-level opening up, and in turn boost the integration of industrial, supply and value chains between the RCEP members, injecting impetus into world economic recovery," said Cui.

崔天凯说：“中国遵守RCEP的贸易规则，将促进中国的高水平对外开放，进而促进RCEP成员之间的产业、供应和价值链的融合，为世界经济复苏注入动力。”

Under the RCEP, China and Japan will see the first bilateral tariff cuts in the form of zero-tariff treatment on 24.9 percent of imported items from Japan and 55.5 percent of imported items from China in 2022. Companies from both sides are expected to benefit from the agreement.

在RCEP框架下，2022年，中日两国将对24.9%的日本进口商品和55.5%的中国进口商品实行零关税待遇，首次实现双边关税削减。中日两方公司预计都将从该协议中受益。

Experts say that China's current overall tariff level, which is nearing that of many developed countries and still decreasing, will help facilitate global trade with lower costs.

专家表示，中国目前的总体关税水平，已经接近许多发达国家的水平，而且还在降低，这将有助于以更低的成本便利全球贸易。

In the first three quarters of the year, China's merchandise imports accounted for around 12 percent of the world's total, up from 11.54 percent in 2020, according to WTO data. Its foreign trade value expanded 22 percent year on year to 35.39 trillion yuan (about 5.56 trillion U.S. dollars) in the January-November period.

根据世贸组织的数据，今年前三个季度，中国进口商品占世界进口总额的比重从2020年的11.54%上升到12%左右。今年1-11月，中国外贸总额达35.39万亿元，同比增长22%。

China has vowed to expand high-quality and institutional opening-up, grant foreign-funded enterprises national treatment, attract more investment from multinational companies, and facilitate the early implementation of major foreign-invested projects in 2022, according to the tone-setting annual Central Economic Work Conference early this month.

本月初召开的中央经济工作会议表示，中国承诺扩大高质量、制度性对外开放，给予外资企业国民待遇，吸引更多跨国公司投资，推动2022年外商重大投资项目早日落地。

To that end, China is working on a slew of measures on top of tariff reductions like shortening the negative list for foreign investment and introducing a negative list for cross-border services trade in the country's free trade zones.

为此，除了降低关税外，中国正在制定一系列措施，如减少外商投资负面清单，在自贸区推出跨境服务贸易负面清单等。