Market
Apr 05, 2017 ｜ by
The Ministry of Commerce held a regular press conference on March 23. Spokesman Sun Jiwen answered the hot issues that concern media at home and abroad. Here is the record:
Q: It is reported that China recently requested the WTO to set up a panel to rule on the EU’s and the United States’s “surrogate country” practice in anti-dumping proceedings in relation with China, and that the EU opposed such a request. What is China's comment on this?
A: On December 12, 2016, China made a request for consultation under the WTO dispute settlement mechanism concerning the EU’s “surrogate country” practice in anti-dumping. In January 2017, the two sides held consultations in Geneva. Regrettably, the consultation failed to address China’s concern. On March 9, China asked the WTO to set up a panel to hear the case. On March 21, the WTO Dispute Settlement Body met for the first time to consider China’s request, but the EU opposed the establishment of the panel. It is the EU’s right to oppose the establishment of the panel at the first meeting. This is what WTO members often do when they are taken to the WTO. Soon the Chinese side will request the WTO Dispute Settlement Body meeting to consider China’s concern again. When that takes place, the panel will be automatically set up.
China is confident that the WTO will make a fair ruling, and urges the EU to fulfill its WTO obligations and change the discriminatory “surrogate country” practice in anti-dumping against China.
Q: The latest data show that in the first two months of this year, car sales growth has slowed down. I would like to ask the spokesperson about your view on the car market this year.
A: China's auto sales in the first two months this year reached 4.459 million units, an increase of 8.8% year on year, down 4.9 percentage points from the annual growth rate of last year. This is mainly due to the high base number in 2016 resulting from rapid growth in new car sales, and to the tapering off of the preferential policy for small displacement passenger car purchase tax.
At present, in the automotive market new development momentum continues to gather, and new development highlights continue to emerge, which is mainly evidenced by the following:
First, consumer attitudes become more rational. More and more consumers choose new energy vehicles and small cars. Second, the distribution of car consumption becomes more extensive. Third, consumption in Tier Four cities and rural areas grows significantly. Fourth, the secondhand car market is developing rapidly. We are working with the relevant departments to eliminate the policy that restricts the relocation of secondhand cars, and improve the information platform for secondhand cars.
Going forward, the Ministry of Commerce will actively promote automobile consumption in the following four aspects:
First, MOFCOM will soon promulgate the Administrative Measures for Auto Sales to break the single model of brand authorized dealership, speed up the development of a shared, economical, social-network-based circulation system of automobiles, and reinvigorate the automotive market; Second, to fully unleash the potential of the secondhand car market, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Environmental Protection recently issued a joint document to ask all localities to eliminate the restrictive policy on secondhand car relocation; Third, MOFCOM will replicate and roll out the automobile parallel import experience, optimize supply in the automotive market, and strengthen after-sales service in order to better satisfy diversified consumer demand; Fourth, MOFCOM will revise the Administrative Measures for Scrapped Car Recycling to promote the transformation and upgrading of the industry.
Data source: Ministry of Commerce People’s Republic of China
