Allow duty-free imports of 85% products: China

中國(guó)要求印度為85%的中國(guó)產(chǎn)品免進(jìn)口稅

NEW DELHI: China has asked India to allow duty-free import of 85% of its products into the country, a move that is putting pressure on policymakers as they grapple with the complex negotiations for Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to create the world’s largest free-trade agreement.

新德里：中國(guó)要求印度允許85%的中國(guó)產(chǎn)品免稅出口印度，此舉給政策制定者施加了壓力，他們正在艱難應(yīng)對(duì)復(fù)雜的區(qū)域全面經(jīng)濟(jì)伙伴關(guān)系(RCEP)談判，以建立世界上最大的自由貿(mào)易協(xié)定。

India has offered to open up 74% of its market to Chinese goods in a phased manner but Beijing is not satisfied with the proposal. During bilateral discussions with China, officials were told that the Asian giant was willing to give duty-free access to 92% of Indian exports, provided New Delhi raised the bar by opening up more.

印度已提出分階段向中國(guó)商品開(kāi)放74%的市場(chǎng)，但北京方面對(duì)這一提議并不滿意。在與中國(guó)的雙邊討論中，印度官員們被告知，只要新德里提高開(kāi)放程度，這個(gè)亞洲巨人愿意為92%的印度商品免稅。

Compared to other countries where over 90% of imports can come duty-free, India has offered lower concessions to China. Even the current offer is fraught with the risk of goods from across the border swamping Indian markets and further impacting the massive trade deficit, which was estimated at $63 billion during the last financial year.

與其他90%以上的進(jìn)口商品可以免稅的國(guó)家相比，印度對(duì)中國(guó)的讓步更小。即使是目前的提議，也承受了跨境商品充斥印度市場(chǎng)、進(jìn)一步加大巨額貿(mào)易逆差的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。上一財(cái)年印度的貿(mào)易逆差估計(jì)為630億美元。

But officials conceded that there is little option before India but to open up its market gradually with a long tariff phase-out period so that domestic players have time to adjust to competition. “We have opportunities in segments where China may be a dominant player. Plus, we are seeking up to 20 years to dismantle the import duties,” said a senior trade official.

但官員們承認(rèn)，除了通過(guò)逐步淘汰關(guān)稅、開(kāi)放市場(chǎng)，讓國(guó)內(nèi)企業(yè)有時(shí)間適應(yīng)競(jìng)爭(zhēng)之外，印度別無(wú)選擇。“在中國(guó)可能占主導(dǎo)地位的領(lǐng)域，我們也有機(jī)會(huì)。此外，我們正尋求在20年內(nèi)取消這些進(jìn)口關(guān)稅。”一位高級(jí)貿(mào)易官員表示。

The domestic industry is, however, not entirely convinced with the need to push a massive trade opening up.

然而，國(guó)內(nèi)產(chǎn)業(yè)并不完全相信有必要推動(dòng)大規(guī)模貿(mào)易開(kāi)放。

Talks for RCEP have been underway for over six years now but India is seen to be holding up a deal, given its worry over cheap imports entering the country and wiping out several sectors. Apart from India and China, Asean members, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea are negotiating a deal, with 2019 being the latest deadline to clinch a deal.

區(qū)域全面經(jīng)濟(jì)伙伴關(guān)系(RCEP)談判迄今已進(jìn)行了6年多，但考慮到到印度對(duì)廉價(jià)進(jìn)口商品進(jìn)入該國(guó)并導(dǎo)致多個(gè)行業(yè)破產(chǎn)的擔(dān)憂，外界認(rèn)為印度正在拖延協(xié)議的達(dá)成。除印度和中國(guó)外，東盟成員國(guó)、澳大利亞、新西蘭、日本和韓國(guó)正在談判一項(xiàng)協(xié)議，2019年是達(dá)成協(xié)議的最后期限。

During a meeting last week, trade ministers from the 16 countries vowed to intensify negotiations to conclude talks over the next few months.

在上周的一次會(huì)議上，來(lái)自16個(gè)國(guó)家的貿(mào)易部長(zhǎng)誓言要加強(qiáng)談判，以在未來(lái)幾個(gè)月結(jié)束談判。