Allow duty-free imports of 85% products: China

中國要求印度為85%的中國產品免進口稅

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：中國要求印度允許85%的中國產品免稅出口印度，此舉給政策制定者施加了壓力，他們正在艱難應對復雜的區域全面經濟伙伴關系(RCEP)談判，以建立世界上最大的自由貿易協定。

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商品開放74%的市場，但北京方面對這一提議并不滿意。在與中國的雙邊討論中，印度官員們被告知，只要新德里提高開放程度，這個亞洲巨人愿意為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%以上的進口商品可以免稅的國家相比，印度對中國的讓步更小。即使是目前的提議，也承受了跨境商品充斥印度市場、進一步加大巨額貿易逆差的風險。上一財年印度的貿易逆差估計為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，除了通過逐步淘汰關稅、開放市場，讓國內企業有時間適應競爭之外，印度別無選擇。“在中國可能占主導地位的領域，我們也有機會。此外，我們正尋求在20年內取消這些進口關稅。”一位高級貿易官員表示。

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

然而，國內產業并不完全相信有必要推動大規模貿易開放。

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.

區域全面經濟伙伴關系(RCEP)談判迄今已進行了6年多，但考慮到到印度對廉價進口商品進入該國并導致多個行業破產的擔憂，外界認為印度正在拖延協議的達成。除印度和中國外，東盟成員國、澳大利亞、新西蘭、日本和韓國正在談判一項協議，2019年是達成協議的最后期限。

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

在上周的一次會議上，來自16個國家的貿易部長誓言要加強談判，以在未來幾個月結束談判。