Ministry of Commerce: Further expand market opening during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period and encourage the import of high-quality consumer goods

　　Chinanews.com.cn, November 24. The Ministry of Commerce held a special press conference on the "Fourteenth Five-Year Plan for High-Quality Development of Foreign Trade". Li Xinggan, Director of the Foreign Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce, introduced that it will be further expanded during the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan. The market is open.

Encourage the import of high-quality consumer goods, expand the import of advanced technology, important equipment, and key parts and components, and increase the import of energy and resource products and domestic agricultural products that are in short supply.

　　Li Xingqian said that in recent years, the Chinese government has unswervingly promoted a high-level opening to the outside world and improved trade facilitation. It has successfully held the CIIE for four consecutive years and has actively expanded imports and achieved positive results.

From January to October this year, China's imports reached 2.19 trillion US dollars, an increase of 31.4%, and the scale hit a record high.

China has become the world's second largest import market for 12 consecutive years.

　　Li Xingqian pointed out that China's imports accounted for 11.5% of the world's imports in 2020, and the share of imports in the international market in the first half of this year has further increased to 12%.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, we will pay more attention to the role of imports, expand the exchange of interests with trading partners, and share China's development opportunities with the world.

The focus will be on four tasks:

　　One is to

Optimize the list of cross-border e-commerce retail imports.

Further promote the on-the-spot processing of imported goods for trade between border residents and expand imports from neighboring countries.

　　The second is to deepen the cultivation of import trade and promote innovation demonstration zones.

On the basis of summarizing and evaluating the experience and practices of the existing demonstration zones, a new batch of import demonstration zones will be added in due course.

Support all localities to improve their import security capabilities, serve industry development, and meet the needs of the people for a better life.

Import trade innovation must be used to better promote the balanced development of foreign trade.

　　The third is to give full play to the role of the import trade platform.

Since the CIIE was held, it has become an important platform for international procurement, investment promotion, cultural exchanges, and open cooperation.

China will promote the expansion of imports of advanced technology, equipment and services through important trade platforms such as the International Import Expo, Consumer Expo and the International Pavilion of the Canton Fair, support the improvement of imports of people’s livelihood-related products, and enable global high-quality products and specialty products to efficiently connect to the Chinese market.

　　Fourth, high standards promote the facilitation of import trade.

In 2019, the Chinese government took the initiative to fulfill its obligations under the WTO’s Agreement on Trade Facilitation and completed the implementation of the relevant provisions of the “Single Window” ahead of schedule.

The Ministry of Commerce, in conjunction with relevant departments, innovated regulatory methods, improved customs clearance policies, and optimized service measures to provide a powerful guarantee for the expansion of imports.

Focusing on the smooth flow of the international supply chain, it will promote the improvement of relevant policies in a targeted manner, further improve the level of import facilitation, and create a good business environment.