Ministries Join Hands on Imports and Exports Safety

The Chinese trade administration and quality watchdog have decided to work together on improving the quality of China's imports and exports, facilitating trade and encouraging enterprises to adopt international standards.

Eight measures will be taken as joint efforts agreed in a cooperation document signed by the Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) on Feb. 5. The cooperation is also supposed to be built at local level.

The catalogue of products which have to go through inspection and quarantine for import or export will be adjusted when necessary. The adjustment will support the export of labor-intensive products like agricultural products and textiles.

The two ministries will push forward the mutual recognition of industrial standards with other countries in agro-products, food and mechanical and electrical products. They will also help enterprises adopt international standards or advanced standards of other countries.

The two ministries have also promised to grant more exemption in quality inspection and improve the custom clearance efficiency.

In addition, product quality and safety training programs will be provided to enterprises. Information on trade and investment environment in certain countries will be published, and more efforts will be put on addressing trade barriers.

Information about health condition of Chinese contracted workers working in overseas markets will be under stricter management.

The AQSIQ published on its website on Feb. 3 the list of 990 exporters whose products do not have to go through inspection and quarantine at the custom after they have done so at the place of production.

By People's Daily Online