"Animal Welfare Barrier" And Its Effect To External Trade Of Our Country

With the great reduction of the tariffs and the gradual elimination of traditional non-tariff barriers, all kinds of new trade policies appear, such as technical barriers, green barriers, and so on. These policies carry out a series of harsh environmental standard to enhance the requirements of imports, increase the difficulty of importation, and finally attain the object of restricting import usually for the sake of protecting the environment, safeguarding human beings, and propagation's life and safety. In the recent years, there is a new member more in the new-trade-barriers family—"animal welfare barrier". It's a new kind of trade policy that some west developed countries use their own animal acts as barriers (utilize their own advantages and influence of cultural education and traditional customs) to prevent some goods, which are made from animals and come from developing countries, being imported and it has made a tight relationship between "animal welfare" and international trade. Actual fact, our country has already met with this barrier in the exports made from animals, and it has cause losses to partly exporters of our country. But presently our country is still lack of protecting animals awareness and "animal welfare"idea, and the enterprises and exporters of the made-from-animal goods know little about the import countries' "animal welfare" laws and the corresponding restricting standard. So to research and explore "animal welfare barrier" will play an important role not only in the theory but also in practice. There are three parts in my paper in all: "animal welfare" and analysis of the state of "animal welfare legislation", the present state of "animal welfare barrier" and the effect analysis, the influence of "animal welfare barrier" to corresponding goods' producing and export of our country and the measures. Through these three parts' analysis, the subject of "animal welfare barrier" will be relatively systematically researched. The first part: "Animal welfare" and "animal welfare" legislation. In this part, firstly, there is the commentary on the origin of the "animal welfare" and the purpose of proposing it: "Animal welfare"was advanced by Hughes in 1976. It means the spirit that the animals which are fed in the farm are correspondence with the environment and the state of completely healthy physiology. Generally speaking, animals own five kinds of freedom (out of thirst and starvation; comfortable living; out of suffering, damage and disease; living without fear and sadness; the right of expressing their instincts.). While there are two purposes to promote animal welfare: One is that to improve the "animal welfare"can bring animals into play as much as possible according to the humanism. The other is to attach importance to "animal welfare" and progress the animal's health and happy lives according to the humanitarianism. Secondly, I'll talk about the present state of "animal welfare" legislation: It started earlier in developed countries and areas and evolved more perfectly. However, at present in our country the protection to animals especially the construction of laws and codes on "animal welfare" appears weaker than the advanced world standard. Mainly in such points: 1. There are a few laws and codes for protecting animals in our country now, and it is still not a whole system. 2. The range of protected animals is limited. 3. The legal sanction to the behaviors which do harm to animals doesn't seem enough following the present laws. 4. The present law articles are in principle over and lack of availability. The second part: "Animal welfare"—the potential trade barrier. It's the most important part in this paper. First, through the case study about the "animal welfare barrier", I'll illustrate the definition, the reasons to emergence and the traits of "animal welfare behavior". There are almost four reasons to its emergence: 1. People have reinforced their awareness of safety and healthy and paid more attention to the effect of the products to their safety and healthy. 2. As the idea of sustainable development come into their head, people have taken more and more care of the earth where they live on and the ecological balance. 3. In thehumanistic eye, "animal welfare barrier" has something to moral problems. So "animal welfare barrier" has not only the lawful foundation but also even more the support from the common people. 4. The differences of technologic level, economic actual strength and nation' benefit are the objective reasons of the animal welfare barriers' emergence. 5. The economy grows slowly and hard in most developed countries these years, and the trade protectionism tend to rise again. Thus, "animal welfare barrier" appears to their new trade barrier to protect the developed countries' own agriculture and animal products markets. In addition, "animal welfare barrier" has three traits: dual character, invisibility and availability, complexity and disputativeness. Second, it is about the effect analysis of "animal welfare barrier". There are three kinds of effects. 1. It is about the effect of market access; 2. It is about the effect of competing power. 3. It is about the effect of restraining economy. 4. It is about the effect of benign interaction. The third part: "Animal welfare barrier" and the external trade of our country. It's an important part in my paper, too. First, I have analyzed the animal welfare barrier's influence to my country's export. One is it'll affect the export of our traditional Chinese drug products. Another is the influence to the poultry and animal products'export. The third is the effect to our aquatic products export and the last one is to our service trade's export. The next, I give some policy advices and corresponding measures. For solving "animal welfare" problems of the raised animals for table purpose, we are supposed to adjust measures to local conditions, be positive and reliable, and keep one eye on three sides that there is no damage to "animal welfare", no influence to the farmers' income, and no baffle to international trade. 1. We must recognize the essence of "animal welfare" trade barrier, pay attention to the pulse of foreign trade barriers, and research into "animal welfare" problems. 2. We should cultivate consumer's rational concept, strengthen the...