[2019 Year-end Review of Business Work Nineteen] Positive Progress Made in Preventing Trade Risks and Safeguarding Industrial Safety and Trade Relief

In 2019, the Ministry of Commerce will adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping's new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, implement the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress and the Second, Third and Fourth Plenary Sessions of the 19th CPC Central Committee, enhance the "four consciousnesses", strengthen the "four self-confidence", achieve the "two safeguards", carry out in-depth education on the theme of "Do not forget your initiative mind, keep in mind the mission", focus on the "one promotion and two stability" task, "6+1" key work and the eight action plans for business reform and development, properly deal with trade frictions, carry out trade relief investigations in accordance with the law, actively participate in international exchanges and cooperation, do a solid job in public services and make positive progress.
First, properly deal with trade frictions and fully prevent trade risks
From January to November 2019, China's export products encountered 83 trade relief cases in 21 countries (regions), including 56 anti-dumping, 9 anti-subsidy and 18 safeguard measures (including US sponge titanium 232 investigation);  The amount involved is about 11.6 billion US dollars.  Compared with the same period last year, the number of cases filed and the amount involved decreased by 19% and 64% respectively.  From a country perspective, the most newly launched China-related investigations are in the United States (15), India (11) and Argentina (10).  From the industry perspective, steel, light industry and textile have encountered a large number of cases and a large amount of money involved.  In addition to the trade relief investigation, the United States also launched 25 337 investigations involving Chinese exports, involving an amount of about 16.5 billion U.S. dollars. The number and amount of cases increased 47% and 9% respectively year on year.  YsFTJV Information Source: HMF2Ox, http://www.steelhome.cn
Faced with the new situation, the Ministry of Commerce has implemented the State Council's "foreign trade stabilization" policy, established and improved an early warning mechanism and legal service system, closely cooperated with relevant departments and local, overseas agencies, business associations and enterprises, and made overall use of various means such as government negotiation, legal defense and industrial dialogue to actively deal with trade frictions and explore mutually beneficial and win-win ways to resolve frictions.  From January to November, more than 200 new cases and reexamination cases were mainly dealt with, of which more than 80 achieved good results.  Many cases involving US wooden cabinets and bathroom cabinets, Canadian steel safeguard measures and other products were largely excluded. In 337 cases involving LED display units and taurine, the applicants were forced to withdraw. 337 investigations into ink cartridges and LED lighting equipment were ruled out of infringement. The European Union terminated the investigation into the first case of market distortion in the original trial. Steel safeguard measures basically guaranteed the original market share by way of quotas. Eurasia Economic Union terminated the investigation into microwave oven safeguard measures.  Australia angle steel, Brazil roller and other anti-dumping cases won in the no-damage defense, India engineering wood flooring and other anti-subsidy cases were terminated, and most of the enterprises in the new Turkish footwear and textile registration cases were exempted.
These cases, which have achieved good response results, involve about 45 billion US dollars in overseas markets, which have protected the export interests of thousands of enterprises involved and the employment of tens of thousands of industrial workers. They are conducive to curbing the spread of protectionism and unilateralism, and to maintaining the situation of industrial cooperation and development among countries under the multilateral trading system, and are inclusive and mutually beneficial.
Two, according to the law to carry out trade relief investigation, safeguard industrial safety and development interests
In recent years, with the continuous improvement of China's opening up to the outside world and the balanced development of import and export trade, the number and types of imported commodities have been increasing.  In view of the phenomenon that unfair import trade disturbs the market order and damages the interests of domestic industries, the Ministry of Commerce conducts trade relief investigations in accordance with the law to protect industrial safety and development interests.
From January to November 2019, the Ministry of Commerce launched a total of 15 original trial investigations, 16 reexamination cases, 12 final verdicts and 17 reexamination rulings on imported products from 12 countries (regions). Another 6 original trials extended the investigation period and 8 reexamination cases terminated the investigations, covering 30 kinds of products such as white-feather broilers, vertical processing centers, stainless steel billets and stainless steel hot rolled plates/rolls, n-propanol, methionine and potato starch, involving more than 400 billion yuan of domestic output value and more than 600,000 direct jobs, thus safeguarding the legitimate interests of domestic industries.  At the same time, we will further improve the system of laws and regulations and complete the drafting of the revised regulations of three departments, including the Provisional Rules on Anti-dumping Price Commitments and the draft Rules on Final Review of Anti-dumping.  Pay attention to improving the informatization level of investigation and develop an online case information submission system;  We will continue to standardize investigation practices, adhere to investigations in accordance with laws and regulations, and fully protect the rights of all stakeholders.  K2lVBP Information Source: http://www.steelhome.cn Glnfo 6
In addition, we will actively explore new mechanisms for helping industries, carry out trade adjustment assistance pilot projects, and complete sugar industry training programs.
Three, actively promote international exchanges and cooperation, take the initiative to participate in the WTO reform process
We will consolidate and expand the bilateral trade relief cooperation mechanism, sign a memorandum of understanding with Chile on the cooperation mechanism, and hold mechanism meetings with nine countries (regions) including the European Union, Thailand and Mexico to strengthen information communication and technical exchange between investigation agencies, enhance understanding, control differences and resolve conflicts.  The first WTO public forum trade relief sub-forum will be held to give full play to the platform functions of the WTO public forum, the regular meeting of "two opposing and one protecting" and the Seoul international forum on trade relief, to make China's voice heard and put forward China's plan.  Participate in the completion of RCEP negotiations, steadily push forward the negotiation of China-Norway and other three free trade agreements, reasonably set up trade relief chapter clauses, and safeguard the interests of the rules.  We will actively carry out technical research on the reform of the WTO, draft relevant proposals and lay a solid foundation for negotiations on rules.  G5fvJ5 Information Source: NTZ0UC, http://www.steelhome.cn
Four, strengthen trade relief public information services and team capacity building
Innovating public information services, integrating and upgrading the comprehensive early warning and legal service platform for trade frictions, organizing the translation of trade relief laws and regulations and litigation response guidelines of 24 countries (regions), and regularly editing and distributing the 24 issues of the electronic publication "National Trade and Investment Environment".
Strengthen team building, hold a national trade relief work conference, and deploy key work throughout the year;  9 training courses on domestic and overseas trade relief were held, with more than 650 people attending the training.  Support local and industry organizations to carry out training, sending staff to teach more than 40 times.  D30HLq Source: Gaecuq, http://www.steelhome.cn
In 2020, under the guidance of Xi Jinping's new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we will thoroughly implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the arrangements of the Central Economic Work Conference, continue to do a solid job in trade relief, and contribute to the promotion of high-quality trade development.