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November 15, 2019

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Tariff cuts key to signing ‘phase 1’ trade agreement

CHINA reiterated yesterday that canceling tariff hikes is an important condition for China and the United States to reach a trade agreement, noting that the degree of tariff cancelation should fully reflect the importance of a “phase one” deal.

China has repeatedly stressed that the trade war was triggered by tariff hikes and should be ended by canceling them, said Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Gao Feng at a press conference.

Removal of tariff hikes is in the interests of both producers and consumers, of China and the United States, and of the world as a whole, Gao said, stressing that this does not just benefit one side.

If China and the United States reach a “phase one” deal, the degree of the tariff cancelation should fully reflect the importance of the “phase one” agreement, and the importance should be jointly assessed by the two sides, Gao said. China and the United States are holding in-depth discussions on this issue, he said.

China is ready to work with the US side to properly address each other’s core concerns on the basis of equality and mutual respect to create conditions for reaching the “phase one” agreement, he said.

Meanwhile, China has lifted restrictions on the import of poultry products from the United States, according to a joint statement of the General Administration of Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs yesterday.

In a bid to ward off the flu epidemic and protect China’s poultry production, China banned the import of poultry and related products from the United States after avian influenza outbreaks occurred in some parts of the United States in 2013 and 2014.

The United States actively took preventive and control measures afterward, and no new cases have been reported in the United States since March 2017.

The United States submitted a report to the World Organization for Animal Health to close the event in August 2017.

At the invitation of the US side, a Chinese team of experts visited the United States in July 2017 to conduct a field assessment of avian influenza prevention and control systems and poultry meat surveillance measures.

In May 2018, China and the United States held consultations on this issue. After a comprehensive assessment, China believes that the avian flu epidemic in the United States has been effectively controlled, and the country's poultry meat regulatory system meets the requirements of relevant laws and regulations in China.

The poultry industry in the United States is relatively developed, with its poultry output ranking first in the world, ministry officials said.

After lifting the restrictions on US poultry products, China’s poultry import source will be further expanded so as to meet market demands effectively, the officials said.




 

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