中国要求印度为85%的中国商品免进口税

Allow duty-free imports of 85% products: China

中国要求印度为85%的中国产品免进口税

NEW DELHI: China has asked India to allow duty-free import of 85% of its products into the country, a move that is putting pressure on policymakers as they grapple with the complex negotiations for Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to create the world’s largest free-trade agreement.

新德里：中国要求印度允许85%的中国产品免税出口印度，此举给政策制定者施加了压力，他们正在艰难应对复杂的区域全面经济伙伴关系(RCEP)谈判，以建立世界上最大的自由贸易协定。

India has offered to open up 74% of its market to Chinese goods in a phased manner but Beijing is not satisfied with the proposal. During bilateral discussions with China, officials were told that the Asian giant was willing to give duty-free access to 92% of Indian exports, provided New Delhi raised the bar by opening up more.

印度已提出分阶段向中国商品开放74%的市场，但北京方面对这一提议并不满意。在与中国的双边讨论中，印度官员们被告知，只要新德里提高开放程度，这个亚洲巨人愿意为92%的印度商品免税。

Compared to other countries where over 90% of imports can come duty-free, India has offered lower concessions to China. Even the current offer is fraught with the risk of goods from across the border swamping Indian markets and further impacting the massive trade deficit, which was estimated at $63 billion during the last financial year.

与其他90%以上的进口商品可以免税的国家相比，印度对中国的让步更小。即使是目前的提议，也承受了跨境商品充斥印度市场、进一步加大巨额贸易逆差的风险。上一财年印度的贸易逆差估计为630亿美元。

But officials conceded that there is little option before India but to open up its market gradually with a long tariff phase-out period so that domestic players have time to adjust to competition. “We have opportunities in segments where China may be a dominant player. Plus, we are seeking up to 20 years to dismantle the import duties,” said a senior trade official.

但官员们承认，除了通过逐步淘汰关税、开放市场，让国内企业有时间适应竞争之外，印度别无选择。“在中国可能占主导地位的领域，我们也有机会。此外，我们正寻求在20年内取消这些进口关税。”一位高级贸易官员表示。

The domestic industry is, however, not entirely convinced with the need to push a massive trade opening up.

然而，国内产业并不完全相信有必要推动大规模贸易开放。

Talks for RCEP have been underway for over six years now but India is seen to be holding up a deal, given its worry over cheap imports entering the country and wiping out several sectors. Apart from India and China, Asean members, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea are negotiating a deal, with 2019 being the latest deadline to clinch a deal.

区域全面经济伙伴关系(RCEP)谈判迄今已进行了6年多，但考虑到到印度对廉价进口商品进入该国并导致多个行业破产的担忧，外界认为印度正在拖延协议的达成。除印度和中国外，东盟成员国、澳大利亚、新西兰、日本和韩国正在谈判一项协议，2019年是达成协议的最后期限。

During a meeting last week, trade ministers from the 16 countries vowed to intensify negotiations to conclude talks over the next few months.

在上周的一次会议上，来自16个国家的贸易部长誓言要加强谈判，以在未来几个月结束谈判。