| It was said that China has imported 14 million tonnes of soybeans in 2002, which accounted for over 50% Chinese demand for soybeans. Chinese soybean production by quantity is almost unchanged since 1980, while foreign soybean productions are increasing dramatically, esp. U.S., Brazil, and Argentina. Chinese soybean trade evolved from net-export, export-import and net-import. Furthermore, the commercialization of genetically modified soybeans (GM soybeans) improved the foreign soybean productions tremendously, not only in quantity, but also in quality and price. What make things even worse are the policies to soybeans imported into China, which treat soybeans imported the same as domestic soybeans. The soybeans imported are hitting domestic soybean production sharply. Although Chinese has issued the labeling law to GM products, the effect of the law on supporting domestic soybean production is less effective. Without Chinese government's continuous supports, Chinese soybean production had stopped. Before 1996, domestic soybean production was under mother-like protection by Chinese government, for example high tariff and quota limit. As a result, domestic soybean price became higher and higher. The soybean farmers, however, did not earn more money in the high price. Protection did harm not only to soybean farmers but also to government and industries that use soybeans as materials. Since 1996, the protection was lifted and domestic and foreign soybeans competed in the same conditions. At present, it is hard for domestic soybeans to fight against and defeat foreign soybeans, mainly from U.S., Brazil, and Argentina. Compared with foreign soybeans, Chinese soybeans are higher in price, shorter in quantity, lower in oil level and more laggard in management. Since protection to domestic soybeans failed, Chinese soybeans need the open market to promote its growth in quality as well as in quantity. Pulling through the hard winter, Chinese soybeans will fly to spring.
|
PDF Full Text Request