The Ministry of Commerce will soon release a set of favorable policies aiming to boost "low-volume" trade across the Taiwan Straits, a senior official said yesterday at the Cross-Straits Economic and Trade Forum in Xiamen.

 

Chong Quan, assistant minister of commerce, stated that these policies would include easing certain restrictions relating to the tonnage allowed per ship and to the trade volume allowed per voyage at certain mainland ports.

 

Chong also announced that China would widen trade permits both for companies and goods, without providing further details.

 

The existing rules on low-volume trade with Taiwan dictate that no haul of goods for any one voyage may exceed US$100,000, and that all goods must be carried by Taiwan ships of less than 100 tons.

 

Further restrictions are imposed on Taiwan residents, who may only trade with mainland companies that strictly specialize in small-volume trade with the island province. Imports from Taiwan may also only be composed of products originating there.

 

Chong announced the importance of small-volume trade in economic relations between the mainland and Taiwan, and that these favorable policies only illustrated the need to boost its development.

 

Over the past 20 years, Chong revealed, the mainland has pursued many active and practical policies towards Taiwan, and these have seen some wonderful results reflected on the strength of the economic relationship.

 

(China Daily April 9, 2007)