Home / Environment / News Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
New 'green' policy may raise export costs
Adjust font size:

Chinese exporters may see their production costs rise by five to ten percent, if a new policy to force them to abide by environmental protection rules comes into force, said an official from the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

The MOC has issued a notice that exporters would be banned from trading abroad for one to three years if they were found violating environmental protection rules.

Exporters would pay extra for discharge facilities and environmental testing, MOC official Chen Guanglong said on Monday.

Some exporters have ignored the country's regulations on environmental protection while striving for lower costs, according to the notice jointly published by the MOC and the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA).

Analysts said they were the most severe measures the MOC had adopted to crack down on environmental violations in the last four years.

The MOC would authorize local departments to stop approving export-related applications, such as export quotas and licenses, contracts for processing, and applications for participating in national or regional trade fairs, of violating companies, based on reports from local environmental watchdogs.

The applications would be processed only when local environmental watchdogs confirmed that corrections had been made in these companies.

The punitive measures were targeted at five sectors, including metal processing, chemicals, cements, textiles, and the light industry, said Chen, as these sectors accounted for 80 percent of the country's energy consumption.

Under the pressure of higher costs, some small and medium-sized enterprises would face closure, Chen said.

The ministry would soon launch a special inspection of the enforcement of environmental rules in exporting enterprises, said Chen.

(Xinhua News Agency October 22, 2007)

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous

China Archives
Related >>
- FM: China Focused on Climate Change, Product Safety
- Going green good for global forest business
- Green food makers see growth opportunities
- Agricultural fair reaps US$4.6b contracts
Most Viewed >>
Air Quality 
Cities Major Pollutant Air Quality Level
Beijing particulate matter II
Shanghai particulate matter III1
Guangzhou sulfur dioxide II
Chongqing particulate matter III2
Xi'an particulate matter III1
Most Read
- White paper on energy
- Endangered monkeys grow in number
- Yangtze River's Three Gorges 2 mln years in the making
- The authorities sets sights on polluted soil
- China, US benefit from clean energy
NGO Events Calendar Tips
- Hand in hand to protect endangered animals and plants
- Changchun, Mini-marathon Aimed at Protecting Siberian Tiger
- Water Walk by Nature University
- Green Earth Documentary Salon
- Prof. Maria E. Fernandez to Give a Lecture on Climate Change
More
Archives
UN meets on climate change
The UN Climate Change Conference brought together representatives of over 180 countries and observers from various organizations.
Panda Facts
A record 28 panda cubs born via artificial insemination have survived in 2006.
South China Karst
Rich and unique karst landforms located in south China display exceptional natural beauty.
Saving the Tibetan Antelopes
The rare animals survive in the harsh natural environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
More
Laws & Regulations
- Forestry Law of the People's Republic of China
- Meteorology Law of the People's Republic of China
- Fire Control Law of the People's Republic of China
- Law on Protecting Against and Mitigating Earthquake Disasters
- Law of the People's Republic of China on Conserving Energy
More
Links:
State Environmental Protection Administration
Ministry of Water Resources
Ministry of Land and Resources
China Environmental Industry Network
Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base