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More resource-intensive products from China to pay export tariffs
Posted: 27 December 2006 1334 hrs

BEIJING: China will introduce export tariffs on more high-polluting, energy-consuming and resource-intensive products from 1st January, state media said on Wednesday.

The products will include stainless steel ingots, preliminary processed tungsten, manganese, molybdenum and chrome, the Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Ministry of Finance.

The government will also continue to impose export tariffs on coal, crude oil and stone next year, the report said.

The high growth rate of the Chinese economy is draining up the country's limited natural resources in terms of per capita allocation, which in turn is threatening the sustainability of the growth itself.

To preserve energy and also curb the surging trade surplus, the government has taken a raft of measures including introducing export tariffs on 110 energy-consuming products and cutting duties on 58 imported duties in November.

The ministry said the government will further lower import tariffs on 44 products next year, according to Xinhua.

After the adjustment of the import and export tariffs, China will see its average tariff level drop by 0.1 percentage point to 9.8 percent next year, Xinhua added