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New centres aim to help foreign trade

By Jiang Wei (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-06-07 08:47

China's commerce ministry, the trade watchdog, yesterday set up 19 service centres in a bid to help Chinese companies better acquaint themselves with possible technical barriers in foreign trade.

These centres, established under relevant chambers of commerce and research agencies, will cover the export of a large number of commodities ranging from farm products, air conditioners and toys to silk.

"We expect that the newly established centres will offer powerful support for companies to overcome the technical barriers of foreign countries," said Vice-Minister of Commerce Wei Jianguo.

Foreign businesspeople meet at the China Export Commodities Fair in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province.  China's commerce ministry has established 19 service centres to help Chinese exporters. [China Daily]

Technical trade barriers have become a crucial issue affecting the business of Chinese exporters in various fields. Some developed nations, making full use of their technological advantage, have adopted a series of special standards and regulations within the areas of safety and environmental protection.

Statistics from the ministry indicate that, in recent years, two-thirds of Chinese exporters have reported suffering from technical barriers when exporting goods. Two-fifths of exported goods faced barriers, causing economic losses of nearly US$20 billion for the country every year.