Summary: With the ongoing financial crisis, some countries have taken recourse to trade protectionism as a self-protective mechanism. This posting aims to remind Chinese readers about the risks of trade protectionism. 

随着金融危机的呼啸而至，贸易保护主义也正迎合了备受危机压力的一些国家的自保心态，在强烈的声讨和抨击中逐步抬头。

 

在贸易保护主义的暗流涌动中，一些国家为保护本国商品免受国外竞争压力先后对进口产品提高关税，也有一些国家则采取限定进口配额或“购买国货”等一系列非关税措施来限制外国商品自由进口。

 

据从商务部获悉的最新消息，美国将从2月19日起对中国输美床用内置弹簧产品征收反倾销税，税率为164.75%至234.51%不等；印度对中国塑料加工机械反倾销调查做出初裁，建议征收76%至223%的从价临时反倾销税；加拿大对华铝挤压材发起反倾销和反补贴贸易措施。

 

另有一篇文章提出：保护主义风险最大的行业首推钢铁行业，其次为木制品、石油和煤制品、化学制品、烟草业和家具业。的确，进入2009年以来，钢铁贸易保护主义的势头愈演愈烈。

 

春节前，土耳其、印度和欧盟相继对钢铁贸易提高了钢铁产品进口关税和征收反倾销税，俄罗斯政府也宣布将提高部分轧钢产品和钢管产品的进口关税，以保护国内钢铁生产商。据悉，俄罗斯将对建筑用线材以及石油和天然气工业用管材征收的进口关税由5%提高到15%，而对某些特定的钢管，如能承受高压的钢管，其进口关税将由15%提升到20%。

 

春节过后，美国众议院通过了《2009美国复苏与再投资议案》设立“购买美国货”（Buy American）条款，这是一条带有强烈保护主义的钢铁刺激条款，因为其明确要求：这项议案计划的900亿美元基建投资受益项目不得使用美国之外生产的钢铁材料。随后，澳大利亚响起了要求使用本国钢铁产品的呼声，欧盟对中国钢铁产品反倾销的终裁决议给中国企业泼了凉水，印度钢铁部也建议将部分钢铁产品进口关税上调至15%。

 

面对很可能快速风起云涌的外国贸易保护主义，各国经济家纷纷发表了声讨和批评的声音。关于如何应对保护主义所带来的种种危险、中国外贸企业如何最小化此次金融危机所带来的负面影响，国内专家提出了不少意见。商务部国际贸易经济合作研究院国际市场研究部副主任白明认为，中国企业应通过提高产品质量或合理降低成本来增加竞争力，政府部门应对各种贸易保护主义措施加以抗议，寻求国际支持。在此，我们也提醒国内进出口商，积极做好应对各种潜伏危机的准备。

China's exports of mechanical and electrical products in 2008 amounted to USD823 billion, an increase of 17% compared to 2007. Yet the findings of a survey recently conducted by China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) indicated that the export growth of mechanical and electrical products is expected to slow down in the first half of 2009, due in large part to dwindling demand from major overseas markets.

The survey also indicated that the impact of the financial crisis on the mechanical and electrical manufacturing industry has spread from the coastal regions to inland cities, and from small and medium sized enterprizes to larger ones. According to the survey, export growth is expected to slow down sharply in 2009, and the export of some products may even start to decline. Yet the findings also showed that manufacturers with established international sales networks for their branded products have fared better than those without such networks.

Facing a daunting export outlook for 2009, it has been reported that the Ministry of Commerce will take the following seven measures to maintain steady export growth for mechanical, electrical and high-tech products.

1. Further adjust and improve policy
This measure involves export tax rebates, import and export credit, insurance and other policy instruments. These policies are expected to support exports of products with independent intellectual property rights, as well as self-branded products and high value-added and labor intensive products.

2. Concentrate on key industries and enterprises
MOC intends to support enterprizes using key technologies and R&D for common technologies to optimize export structures. MOC will put greater effort into serving such enterprizes which have already obtained new orders, are in the process of receiving new orders or have the ability of getting new orders.

3. Create public service platforms
MOC supports the construction of relevant platforms such as an automobile exporting platform and a science and technology innovation platform,  as well as platforms for technology R&D, testing & detection, product certification, information services, and training.

4. Intensify efforts on promoting important markets
MOC will organize key enterprizes by industry to enter important countries for carrying out market promotion activities. Hence more enterprizes will be encouraged to go abroad to attend or host exhibitions, register trademarks, and apply for quality certification. Enterprizes will also be prompted to develop overseas marketing networks and to set up active after-sales service networks.

5. Alleviate the difficulties of export financing for SMEs
MOC has provided guidelines for financial institutions to offer financial guarantees to SMEs, has expanded credit insurance financing scales, and has induced domestic and foreign commercial insurance companies to participate in short-term insurance operations.     

6. Support exports of large-scale integrated equipment facilities
MOC is exploring the mixed-financing solution, which combines policy-based export credit, commercial credit and international financial institution financing. MOC also intends to make full use of bilateral political, diplomatic, economic and trade mechanisms to support key equipment manufacturing industries in opening up international markets.

7. Actively expand imports
MOC will expand imports of advanced technology, key equipment and components, and will endeavor to urge the United States, Europe and other developed countries to allow more exports of relevant technology to China.

The quarterly knowledge tool of The Beijing Axis, The China Analyst, has just been released, and it is my pleasure to share it with the readers of the China Sourcing Blog.

This edition is bigger and more ambitious than ever before, taking as its main focus an in-depth study of China and the financial crisis. Yet the publication is also filled as usual with leading analysis, statistics, news and assessments on China's macroeconomy, China sourcing, China's trade and financial markets, OFDI and M&A and other significant China-related issues and events.


I invite all our readers to download The China Analyst at the link provided below, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

The China Analyst - February 2009.pdf

IFPSM recently published an article 'Central and Eastern Europe not taking advantage of purchasing in low-cost Asia.' TBA consultant Kevin here summarises the key points for Chinese readers and adds some new insights.

国际采购与供应商管理联盟(IFPSM)近日发文称，中国及其他亚洲地区的低生产成本国家近年吸引了很多欧洲采购者的眼球，但是中东欧国家却并不在此例。

在此文中，位于布拉格的西门子采购中心的国际采购负责人Miroslav Pavlicek说，“中欧的买家关注中东欧的程度远远高于其关注亚洲”。而其原因被归结为：发展程度相对低的中东欧国家传统上来说更加愿意从欧洲内部采购。而其中最大的原因笔者认为是由于欧洲内部的统一化标准。比如文中说，农业非常发达的摩尔多瓦，如其需要农业类的机械设备，一般会倾向于从欧洲国家采购。因为这些机械的生产标准与欧洲国家内部的规定是一致的。而这也同时造成了欧洲之外的国家，特别是亚洲供应者向欧洲供货的门槛障碍。

同时，总部位于德国杜塞尔多夫的国际采购中介--Kerkhoff Consulting公司的合作人，在华沙办公的Gerrit Scharke认为， 他看到了近年从中国采购的趋势的增长，特别是纺织品，电脑零部件及棕色家电(电视机、录像机、录音机、收音机等)。他说：“中东欧国家也正在经受这次金融危机的困扰并意识到最好的解决途径之一就是从新的渠道采购来降低成本。同时他也提到中东欧从中国的采购行为要比从印度明显的多。

英国的采购代理Crown Agents的采购领导人Nourilya Moldakhmatova也说，他们注意到欧洲的马其顿王国的很多IT大型项目的设备都是从中国采购的，这其中包括了一项涉及1500万欧元的订单。

由此可见，一方面来说，亚洲供应商，特别是中国的相关厂家近年也在通过各种途径如提高产品质量，扩大宣传力度，办理各种国际认证等途径来得到欧洲国家的认可；另一方面，欧洲特别是中东欧的国家面对席卷全球的金融危机，也在试图寻找各种办法来应对，通过中国采购就是其中之一。我们也相信随着金融危机的加深，此趋势会越来越明显。同时提醒各出口商能够关注此类似商机，抓住机遇。

 

The 9th China International Heating, Ventilation & Air-conditioning Expo

Venue:        China International Exhibition Center, Beijing
Date:          25-27 February 2009
Organizer:   Beijing B & D Tiger Exhibition Co. Ltd.
Tel:           +86 (0)10 8460 0666

Briefing:
As the largest and most authoritative international HVAC trade exhibition in China, CIHE & HVAC 2009 will provide a platform for manufacturers, dealers and contractors from China and abroad to display new products and services in the industry. Over 550 exhibitors are expected to join the event.

More information.

China International Conrete Technology & Equipment Expo

Venue:        China International Exhibition Center
Date:          26-28 February 2009
Organizer:   CCPIT Building Materials Sub-Council 
Tel:           +86 (0)10 6836 1826

Briefing:
The objective of Concrete China 2009 is to facilitate the development of China's concrete industry and to promote the latest innovations and market trends within the industry. The event will display raw materials and products as well as the most advanced mechanical equipment and manufacturing techniques.

For more information, see website.

China's economy has sustained dire effects from the global economic slowdown, and the spill-over has impacted e-commerce as a trading platform. In July 2008, Alibaba CEO Jack Ma spoke of the coming "winter chill" and told his staff that "We are prepared for the winter, so we have reserved a lot of cash."

Yet in these demanding times there are also new opportunities. According to research conducted by SPG Media for their 2007-2008 report on global e-procurement, the Internet is still a popular platform for global sourcing. After gathering opinions from procurement specialists and c-level personnel from Forbes 2000 organisations, they found that

• 81% of users use Google to search for business information
• 68% use the Internet as their first resource when sourcing new suppliers
• 80% say time-saving is the key benefit when sourcing suppliers online, and
  
• 86% of senior-level personnel believe the online procurement activities of their organisations will increase significantly over the next five years.
  

On 29 December 2008, Alibaba collaborated with the Jiangsu provincial government to establish a branch website called the 'Jiangsu International E-commerce Platform.' On the website's first day of operation, more than 4000 companies registered as new members. Jiangsu, like Zhejiang and Guangdong, is an economic powerhouse in China and ranks as the third-richest province in terms of per capita GDP. SMEs in Jiangsu suffered from the financial crisis, however, as a large part of their exports previously went to the US market. Now, as they struggle to survive and seek new markets such as Australia and the Middle East, they can profit a lot from e-commerce.

Compared with traditional trading methods, online business has many advantages. It has lower distribution and inventory costs, faster reaction times for enquiries, and it integrates information with all parts of the supply chain. It can serve as a one-stop solution for buyers, dealers, wholesalers and suppliers and can cut out many of the hassles, especially during this time when suppliers are trying to expose their products to new parts of the world and buyers around the world are really trying to save money.  

During 2008, e-commerce turnover in China was more than RMB1.5 trillion. And according to national policy guidelines, by the end of 2010, 25% of the procurement of large-size companies should be completed online. So while there may be a chill in the air at the moment, spring is sure to come soon for e-commerce and B2B.

(Image from wellness-network.org)