The Mainland Has Opened Up Footwear Processing Trade Or Lifting The Ban On Taiwan Businessmen.

In order to reduce the adverse effects of the huge surplus of international trade on the economic development, the Chinese government implemented a new policy on processing trade last year, and a series of policies made heavy losses to Taiwanese and Hong Kong enterprises. According to Wei Jianguo, Vice Minister of Commerce of China, yesterday (5), a new batch of banned catalogue of processing trade was also announced in the first half of this year. However, in the part of Taiwan funded enterprises, some industries with high added value, such as some shoe making industries and furniture industries, are expected to be excluded.

"The industrial and commercial times" reported that Wei Jianguo, Vice Minister of Commerce of China, took part in the Symposium of the economic consultative conference of the CPPCC yesterday afternoon. He said that the Chinese government did not want to suppress exports, but it was an established policy to optimize the industry and promote industrial upgrading.

In response to this policy, last year, Vice Premier Wu Yi of the State Council and the heads of 21 departments of the State Council and the main leaders of Fujian and Xiamen held talks with Taiwanese businessmen.

Among the Taiwanese businessmen, there are many heavyweight personalities, such as Terry Gou, chairman of the Hon Hai group who speaks on behalf of Taiwanese businessmen, Chen Wuxiong, director general of Taiwan Federation of industries, and Zhang Hanwen, chairman of the Federation of investment enterprises of Taiwan.

The heavyweight Taiwanese businessmen responded to Wu Yi. The mainland's processing trade policy should bring great impact on Taiwanese businessmen. Wu Yi also promised to give the pition period.

Therefore, Wei Jianguo admits that the new catalogue announced will consider the views of Taiwan businessmen and will exclude some production according to the findings of the Ministry of Commerce.

Wei Jianguo also said that the mainland has always encouraged Taiwan businessmen to move the processing trade to the central and western part of the country. This is the established policy, and the mainland will provide Taiwan funded enterprises with the convenience of logistics in accordance with the requirements of Taiwan funded enterprises.

He said that at present, the Ministry of Commerce has identified nine key places for processing trade gradient pfer in the central region, nine key places of acceptance in the six central provinces, and the Ministry of Commerce and the State Development Bank jointly issued the opinions on supporting the pfer of processing trade in the central and western regions, and proposed that the development bank should provide thirty billion yuan policy loans in three years, lend loans to key projects in the central and western regions, and interest rates within 10%.

Data show that since 2006, the Ministry of Commerce of the mainland has launched a number of processing trade adjustment policies in conjunction with relevant departments. The export rebate rate of many products has been repeatedly reduced or even cancelled. In July 23rd last year, a number of new processing trade restriction catalogues were published, and banks' guarantee of gold and Taiwan accounts were pferred to the restricted category commodities.

Because of over 80% of Taiwan funded enterprises in the southeast coast, the production of leather bags, leather shoes, glasses, umbrellas, electronic equipment, furniture and footwear industry, etc., the adjustment of processing trade policy has great influence on Taiwanese businessmen.