Chinese exporters yesterday angrily condemned a series of unfair
trade measures by Japan to block Chinese farm produce.
Japan announced on May 12 it would stop importing Chinese fowl and
eggs after finding two cases of a flu virus in a Shandong-based
firm's exports of duck meat.
It
issued an import warning on Chinese frozen spinach on May 20 using
the pretext of higher-than-permitted amounts of pesticide
residue.
The warning came less than three months after Japan lifted its
previous ban at the end of February. This came into effect in
August 2002, virtually blocking China's exports of frozen spinach
to Japan.
Japan is imposing stricter exit quality supervision and inspection
and quarantine measures on China's annual US$600 million exports of
eels at the same time.
But after tracking member companies, the China Chamber of Commerce
for the Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal
By-products (CFNA) said no flu epidemic has occurred in East
China's Shandong Province.
The chamber, a national association attached to the Ministry of
Commerce, represents over 4,000 Chinese exporters of farm
produce.
Chamber President Cao Xumin said the national blockade imposed
after the detection of two flu virus-infected cases out of
thousands of tons of Chinese exports shows Japan has turned health
measures into trade protectionism.
China has exported 92,000 tons of fowl this year, including 90,000
tons of chicken and 740 tons of duck, according to official Chinese
statistics.
Although Japan later recognized the flu virus will be killed and
rendered harmless after it is exposed to high temperatures, it is
only allowing imports from only five Chinese factories instead of
the chamber's recommended 45.
The "irrational" restriction was clearly intended to block Chinese
exports of farm produce and violated World Trade Organization
rules, said the president.
Cao also criticized the Japanese spinach warning as being out of
compliance with its promises in the memo it signed with China's
quality supervision and inspection and quarantine departments in
February.
Instead of issuing an import warning immediately after finding
higher-than-allowed pesticide amounts of residue, Japan promised to
stop imports from guilty companies and hold bilateral talks with
Chinese quality supervision and inspection and quarantine
departments first, he said.
The import ban has caused the estimated return of 10,000 tons of
chicken to China and caused losses of millions of yuan.
The spinach warning has caused losses of over US$3 million for
exporters in Shandong alone. Spinach exporters in other areas also
reported a 70 per cent fall in their exports after the warning was
issued on May 20, said Cao.
He
said the interests of Japanese consumers had also been severely
damaged by the protectionist measures, while the price of imported
chicken legs increased to US$2,500 per ton from US$1,500 per ton in
Japan after imports from China were blocked.
(China Daily June 3, 2003)