How Chinese Electrical Information Products Broke Through Technological Barriers To Trade Of The European Union

In this paper I introduced the fundamental concepts of technological barriers to trade and the European technological barriers to trade. Besides, I anatomized why our electrical information products were restricted by the European technological barriers to trade. Since China entered the WTO, our export goods have always been facing the decreased number and the trade conflict because of the restriction of the technological barriers to trade. During the first years after becoming a member of WTO, our electrical information products had ever faced the same environment. But during the first half of this year, our electrical information products exporting to Europe has been increased greatly, which implies our government and companies' endeavor and improvement become efficient. But we can't relax, technological barriers to trade don't disappear and have the tendency to become much strict because the European countries are still influenced by the financial crisis of 2008, our electrical information products for exporting still face some challenges.In international trade a country uses technical barriers to trade in order to ensure national security requirements, prevent fraud, protect human health and safety, the life and health of animals and plants, environmental protection, respect for cultural and traditional customs.After World WarⅡworld economy has become more integrated. With the increased level of integration, tariffs and other non-tariff trade barriers have been gradually weakened. At the same time technical barriers to trade has become the new trade barriers form. European Union first became aware of the role of technical barriers to trade, and it became the region that has maximized the usage of technical barriers to trade. First, the European Union has eliminated tariffs and other traditional non-tariff barriers to trade within the Union itself. Second, the EU has developed very strict technical barriers to trade of goods outside the EU, such as going through a very demanding procedure. So the European Union becomes the regions with the highest level of technical barriers to trade in the world. China's electrical information products has exported to the EU increasingly for the following reasons:playing the function of price and improving the European EU markets'demand for China's electrical information products; playing a role in promoting technological progress; the standardization work by China's electrical information product manufacturing enterprises; the increased security awareness of China's electrical information product manufacturing enterprise; the increased environmental awareness of China's electrical information product manufacturing enterprises; strengthening and improving enterprise management and improving the overall quality of the enterprise; mastering the requirements of TBT agreement and being familiar with the rules and standards; further strengthening international cooperation and exchanges, enhancing understanding and breaking the "barrier"; strengthening the government, enterprises, trade between the communication; establishing the early risk warning mechanism of technical barriers to trade.The export of China's electrical information products has always been facing challenges, which probably will become much stricter and more challenge because the increase of China's electrical information products will decrease their benefits, especially the EU has still been influenced under the financial crisis of 2008. Therefore, China's electrical information products must still keep aware these challenges in order to maintain the good momentum of exports, we must always guard against the technological barriers to trade for our electrical information products. These challenges include:the directive impact of WEEE and ROHS, especially on the recycling fees of "historical waste" and "future waste", the costs of hazardous substances'testing requirements and the resulting increased costs of alternative materials, the pressure transferring by multinational corporations and the increased pressure on the local parts manufacturers; some uncertainty brought by RMB appreciation which will influence the momentum of export growth of electrical information products, the decreased cost advantages of electrical information products because of the continuing appreciation of RMB, the increased prices of raw materials and labor costs which will greatly reduce the competitive advantages of China's electrical information products in the EU market; the increased business costs by the short-supply of energy and raw materials; lacking the independent export brands which does not match our great-power status of electrical information products.Although during the first half of 2010, our exports of electrical information products has a substantial increase, we can not ignore the challenges which China's export industry will still face. Some common negative aspects still need improvement and should be improved in the following areas:the management system should be established in the macro level, the Government should completely play their service functions, such as the government should actively participate in international standard establishments and speed up the construction of our standard system, our government should also actively participate in international standard-setting work and play a greater influence in the process of international standard'establishments, issue a much larger sound, secure more initiative. We should not only actively participate in international games and familiar with the rules of the game, but also take part in the rules'definition of the game; government policy from the macro-control should improve the quality of legislation and enforcement; to continue to play a strong role of industry associations and the industry's basic functions.