China's Policies Against Technical Trade Barriers

Now China has become a big country in the term of trade volume, but not in the term of trade quality. In the world market, our export products do not have hi-tech, and rely too much on labor cost, our export products face different kinds of Technical Barrier to Trade. In order to make our export grow steadily and effectively, realize the export engine, it is important that our government and companies work together to eliminate all kinds of trade barriers, especially the Technical Barrier to Trade. Foreign Technical Barrier to Trade has become the huge obstacle facing our export development because of its technical complicacy, obsceneness and affect. Thus, analyze the reason behind Technical Barrier to Trade and its affect to our export and the policy we should adopt is very important for our export trade and industrial development.TBT (Technical Barriers to Trade) is a country try to protect human health and safety, protect the ecological environment, prevent fraud and ensure the quality of products, take some mandatory or compulsory technical measures. These measures become obstacles as other countries trade goods and services. The numerous and growing number of TBT on international trade is having great impact.As the world's largest developing country, China's export commodities are facing more and more technical barriers challenges from the major developed countries. The direct effect of technical barriers is that many of our products, because of environmental technology, security factor can not enter the target market or be forced to withdraw from the target market. The reasons behind this include: China's export products did not meet the standards of the importing country's requirements, have been shut out; trade partners raise standards which the export enterprises can not achieve; higher standards increased the cost of exports, some export enterprises can not afford the costs, have to withdraw from the market. The main influence on the competitiveness of products is: uncertified products'competitiveness on the market has been greatly reduced; to meet the relevant standards and increased raw materials costs eroded the competitiveness of products; technology, environment protection and the improvement of working conditions increase cost and weaken the competitiveness of enterprises; the high cost of inspection and quarantine lead to a drop in competitiveness; expensive certification costs lead to a drop in competitiveness. This requires at least two levels of solutions : government level and the enterprise level.For government level, first of all, the government should attach great importance to technical barriers to trade, establish a macro-management mechanism. China should improve its internal coordination mechanisms, organize domestic departments to a harmonized mechanism, research policies related to technical barriers to trade and fully mobilize the enthusiasm of all factors, go invigorating trade through science and technology and sustainable development. Meanwhile organize specialized manpower to study foreign TBT system, the anti-dumping investigation system and the system of green barriers, establish an early warning mechanism of foreign trade protection, timely transmit the international market new situation to enterprises and issue timely warning information, and help domestic enterprises and guiding them through new breakthrough in foreign trade protectionist barriers. Play the leading role of the government, strengthen the functions of the management functions. Second, actively participate in the standardization work and strengthen bilateral authentication. Third, establish an information center and database to enhance research and guide the production. Fourth, educate professional talents, let them research, understand and use various international laws and regulations. Finally, government should firmly oppose to any country's discriminatory policies against China, in the event of trade frictions, the government should make full use of the WTO to resolve bilateral trade disputes and multilateral consultative mechanisms, and help domestic enterprises to safeguard legitimate rights and interests.For enterprises, first of all they should maintain a high degree of sensitivity with TBT-related information, always closely follow the world's, especially in developed countries (EU, United States, Japan) dynamic new technical trade barriers. Secondly, invest in research and development costs, produce with foreign technical standards, especially the stringent requirements of advanced products; meanwhile when trade disputes happen, through government negotiations, try to make foreign government abolish its technical barriers to trade. Third, have a correct understanding of TBT's root, and deliberate flexible response. Fourth, we must actively apply for certification. Fifth, enhance innovation capacity. Sixth, Chinese enterprises should not blindly expand exports and avoid international trade feverish price war and killing each other, this will provide a new excuse for trade protectionists.