China Adjusts Import-Export Duties in 2014 Tariff Schedule

Reportedly, the Chinese government will make some adjustments over its import-export duties for next year, which is to come into effect on January 1, 2014.

As per its commitment to the WTO and its macro-economic control, in 2014, China will keep tariff quotas on the imports of 7 agricultural products including wheat and 3 chemical fertilizers including urea, with provisional duty rates on the 3 chemical fertilizers; keep sliding duties on certain amount of import cotton beyond the quota, with duty rates adjusted mildly; levy specific duties or compound duties on 47 products including frozen chicken, with the duty rates adjusted mildly for certain products therein according to the changes in the import prices and in CNY-USD exchange rate.

In 2014, China will give interim duties lower than MFN rates to more than 760 import goods, at an average concession of 60%, involving piston aircraft engines, cell phones and tablet computers’ camera modules, native grass products, and audio life detectors. Additionally, some products including optical fiber preforms and multi-point injection turbo-charging gasoline engines will be exempted from annual interim duties on imports.

Next year, China will maintain the provisional duties on the exports of coal, crude oil, chemical fertilizers and ferroalloy products, with chemical export duty rates lowered moderately.

Regarding China-foreign free trade strategies, China will maintain the conventional duty rates (or even lower rates) on certain products from the ASEAN, Chile, Pakistan, New Zealand, Peru, Costa Rica, South Korea, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, etc.

Regarding economic arrangements with Hong Kong and Macao, zero duty treatment will be given to the goods from the two Chinese regions under preferential origin criteria.

Regarding economic cooperation with Taiwan, zero duty treatment will be given to some of goods from the region.

The Chinese authority will keep special preferential duty rates on some of goods from 40 least-developed countries/regions including Laos, Sudan and Yemen and will expand the scope of goods under the special preferences for Sierra Leone, Samoa, Tanzania, Chad and Senegal.

Moreover, China has adjusted some items in its Import-Export Tariff schedule for 2014, with addition of CNC crankshaft grinder, 3D printers, welding robots, crystal, tourmaline and other items; thereafter, the 2014 tariff schedule contains 8,277 items, more than 8,238 of 2013 version.