China’s Export Trade Prospects Under The Perspective Of Carbon Tariffs

On June26,2009, the United States House of Representatives has passed theAmerican clean energy and security act (ACESA). After that, the discussion of carbontariffs has become a hot issue in many countries. Most scholars in developingcountries pointed out that the United States has not signed the Kyoto Protocol, anddoes not discharge of its responsibility related reduce emissions. Imposing tax forexport of products in this time to developing countries, its true purpose is in the nameof the energy conservation and emission reduction so as to carry out trade protectionmeasures.Although, in terms of developing countries, the low carbon economy patternwhich developed countries initiate,partly, would deal with global warming problemsand development of low carbon economy effectively. But the application of thismodel base on that developing country has mastered and been skilled with the cleanenergy technology. Of course, the carbon tariff in certain respects would help world toreduce greenhouse gas emissions, which means imposing carbon tariffs may berationality. But not only are the methods of carbon tariffs not consistent with theWTO basic rules obviously, but go against the United Nations framework conventionon climate change (UNFCCC) which established common but principle of differentresponsibilities. The original intention of imposing carbon tariffs is in order to reducegreenhouse gas emissions and inhibiting global warming problem. But the way ofimposing carbon tariffs still exist flaws. Although the carbon tariffs have beensupported by the United States in the legal, for this time, there is not still a specificmethod to impose carbon tariffs officially. However, as China’s GDP arose to thesecond in the world and the industry’s international competitiveness increasedgradually, China’s carbon emissions will be paid close attention to other countriesworldwide, which means unilateral trade protection would be adopted by developedcountries for the high carbon industry transference and carbon leakage problems. Asan international trade country of huge carbon emissions, the influence of carbon tariffs for our country cannot be ignored. Therefore strengthening researches related carbontariffs has a significant practical meaning.In this paper, the phenomenon of imposing carbon tariffs, at first, by the UnitedState will be analyzed in a low carbon economy background, and stated terms relatedcarbon abatement about the United Nations framework convention on climate change,the Kyoto protocol and Copenhagen meeting respectively. Then, the rationality of acarbon tariffs will be discussed. After that, the nature of carbon tariffs for developedcountries will be expressed and pointed out the influence of imposing carbon tariffson China’s export trade. Last but not least, readjustment and countermeasures will bedescribed to deal with carbon tariff about China.The article is divided to five parts. The first chapter is introduction. This chapterintroduces the research’s background and significance, and reviews the domestic andoverseas scholars on researches related carbon tariffs, and points out the research’sideas and innovations.The second chapter states the formation of background of carbon tariffs andreviews carbon tariffs for domestic and foreign scholar’s views from the aspect of law,and analyses the essence of carbon tariffs.The third chapter reviews China once faced green trade barriers, and points outthe influence related trade industry of new green trade barriers on China’s export.The fourth chapter discusses opportunities, challenges and countermeasuresabout China when our country’s export faces carbon tariffs.The fifth chapter is conclusion which summarizes this article and puts forwardthe suggestions and prospect about the carbon tariffs.