China’s Minister of Commerce, Chen Yuming, addressed the issue of U.S. export restrictions on China during a press conference in Beijing on the 6th. He criticized the U.S. policies that have been in place since 2007, calling them unfair and harmful to both China and the United States. According to Chen, these restrictions have not only worsened trade tensions but also negatively impacted American exporters and manufacturers. Furthermore, he argued that such measures are counterproductive to the U.S. government's goal of quickly restoring economic growth and reducing unemployment.
At the Third Session of the 11th National People's Congress, Chen highlighted that China has taken note of President Obama’s State of the Union speech, in which he emphasized the U.S. goal of doubling its exports over the next five years to become the world’s largest trade exporter. While China acknowledges the U.S. effort to reshape its economy, Chen stressed that continued export restrictions on a major emerging economy like China would make it difficult for Sino-U.S. trade to achieve balance.
He questioned the logic behind discussing trade surpluses and deficits if bilateral trade is not free and fair, saying, “If trade is not equal and open, what does it mean to talk about trade imbalances?â€
Chen pointed out that current U.S. controls on Chinese exports are "very strict." From 1949 to 1994, the U.S. led the formation of the "Basic Agreement," later using new treaties to impose trade restrictions on 19 countries, including China. In 2007, additional restrictions were imposed on Chinese exports.
In recent days, Sino-U.S. trade relations have remained tense. On March 4, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced preliminary anti-dumping duties ranging from 132.74% to 349% on magnesia carbon bricks from China. Earlier this month, the U.S. also issued a preliminary countervailing duty ruling in a case involving Chinese copperplate and phosphate products.
According to China’s government work report, the external environment remains complex and challenging. The global economic recovery is still fragile, and trade protectionism is on the rise. Official data shows that over 100 trade disputes involving Chinese goods occurred in 2009, totaling around $12 billion—double the amount from the previous year.
Despite these challenges, Chen believes that the overall trend of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation between China and the U.S. will remain unchanged. Both countries have established internal consultation mechanisms to address trade issues and reduce friction. On March 4, the two sides jointly released a report titled “Study on the Statistical Differences of Sino-U.S. Trade in Goods,†aiming to clarify long-standing discrepancies in trade statistics.
Chen also emphasized that China’s foreign trade strategy is not just about stabilizing exports, but also about promoting balanced development through increased imports. He mentioned that China will implement policies to facilitate the import of advanced equipment, parts, and materials, and urged developed nations like the U.S. and Europe to ease their export restrictions on Chinese goods.
In addition, Chen addressed some misconceptions about China’s trade surplus. He noted that while China had a trade surplus of $290 billion in 2008, this represented a small portion of its total foreign trade volume, which exceeded $2.5 trillion that year. Moreover, 73% of the surplus came from trade with the U.S., while China has a trade deficit with all its neighboring countries and more than 50 less-developed nations worldwide.
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