Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, December 29th
Topic: Benefiting People’s Livelihood, Seeking Innovation, and Promoting Openness——Interpretation of my country’s Tariff Adjustment Plan in 2023
Xinhua News Agency reporter Shen Cheng
Tariff is an important means of national macro-control. At the end of each year, my country will adjust the tariff rate of some import and export commodities according to the economic and social development. Approved by the State Council, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council issued an announcement on the 29th, clarifying my country’s tariff adjustment plan for 2023.
Experts and industry insiders interviewed by Xinhua News Agency said that the adjustment reduces the import tariffs on some medical products, consumer goods, resource products, raw materials and parts, and will further meet the needs of people’s lives, business production and social development. Give full play to the role of tariffs as the connecting point of domestic and international dual cycles, and use high-level opening up to help build a new development pattern and achieve high-quality development.
Benefiting the people’s livelihood: adjusting tariffs on some medical products and consumer goods to better meet the needs of the people
Focusing on people’s livelihood concerns and using tariff leverage can “leverage” more good products and good commodities into thousands of households, further improving people’s livelihood and well-being, and meeting the needs of the people.
According to the announcement, from January 1, 2023, my country will implement a provisional import tax rate lower than the most-favored-nation tax rate for 1,020 commodities.
The reporter checked the attached table of the announcement and found that in order to protect the health of the people and reduce the economic burden of patients, my country will implement zero tariffs on some anticancer drug raw materials, cancer pain relief drugs, anti-new coronavirus drug raw materials, etc., and will reduce the cost of raw materials for dentures and vascular stents. , contrast media and other medical products import tariffs.
In fact, since 2018, my country has successively canceled the import tariffs on the first and second batches of anticancer drugs, rare disease drug raw materials, and some alkaloid drugs used to treat asthma, reducing the cost of intracranial thrombus removal. Import duties on medical devices such as stents and artificial joints.
“my country’s continuous adjustment of import tariffs around the drugs and medical equipment that the people are concerned about will help to better protect people’s health and safety, and better achieve ‘medical treatment’.” Institute of International Development and Global Governance, School of Public Administration, Tsinghua University Deputy Director Gao Yuning said.
In recent years, the huge potential of China’s big market has been continuously released, and people’s demand for “global good products” has continued to grow.
The announcement released this time clarified that in 2023, my country will reduce import tariffs on homogenized mixed food, frozen blue cod, cashew nuts and other foods for infants and young children, as well as small household appliances such as coffee machines, juicers, and hair dryers.
“In layman’s terms, it is to make it more convenient and cheaper for everyone to buy.” In Gao Yuning’s view, reducing the import tariffs of these consumer goods responds to the people’s demand for a better life, and also helps to expand opening up to the outside world and promote domestic and international double cycles. Smooth communication.
Seeking innovation: Multiple tariff adjustments promote innovative development and enhance the resilience of the industrial chain and supply chain
Promoting the innovation and development of advanced manufacturing is one of the highlights of this tariff adjustment. According to the announcement, my country will reduce import tariffs on lithium niobate, iridium oxide used in fuel cells, and roller bearings used in wind turbines in 2023.
It is understood that lithium niobate is a semiconductor production material, iridium oxide used in fuel cells is an important raw material required by the automotive industry, and roller bearings used in wind turbines are components required by the wind power industry.
Gao Yuning said that reducing taxes on these important raw materials, intermediate products and parts will help introduce advanced technologies and products, stimulate innovation vitality of enterprises, and accelerate industrial transformation and upgrading.
The announcement made it clear that my country will also implement zero tariffs on potash fertilizers and unwrought cobalt in 2023, and reduce import tariffs on some wood and paper products, boric acid and other commodities.
According to Zhang Xuebiao, director of the International Intelligence Research Office of the Agricultural Information Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, these adjustments can strengthen my country’s resource supply capabilities, help reduce business operating costs, support companies to better allocate resources on a global scale, and help improve industrial chain supply. chain toughness.
In addition, starting from July 1, 2023, my country will also implement the eighth step of tax reduction on the most-favored-nation tax rate of 62 information technology products. After adjustment, my country’s overall tariff level will drop from 7.4% to 7.3%.
In 2016, my country implemented tax reductions for the first time on the expanded products of the “Information Technology Agreement”, and has implemented seven-step tax reductions so far. In the view of industry insiders, lowering the tax rate in accordance with the “Information Technology Agreement” can promote the import of related commodities, which is conducive to the development of my country’s information technology, promotes the development of related domestic industries and economy; it is also conducive to the development of global high-tech, and provides assistance for economic globalization .
Promoting opening up: adjusting the tax rates of relevant agreements to promote the construction of a high-standard free trade zone network
The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly stated “promoting high-level opening up” and made a series of important arrangements. “Expanding the network of high-standard free trade zones facing the world” is one of the deployments.
The announcement made it clear that according to the free trade agreements and preferential trade arrangements signed between my country and relevant countries or regions, in 2023, some imported goods under 19 agreements and originating in 29 countries or regions will implement agreed tax rates.
“These 29 countries and regions cover nearly half of my country’s total foreign trade. It can be said that my country’s foreign trade ‘circle of friends’ is getting bigger and bigger, and more and more friends are ‘liked’.” Gao Yuning said.
Among them, according to the relevant provisions of the “Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement” (RCEP) and the entry into force of the agreement to Indonesia, from January 2, 2023, my country will implement the RCEP agreement tax rate on some imported goods originating in Indonesia. As a free trade zone with the largest population, the most diverse membership structure and the greatest development potential in the world, RCEP will take a new step in its construction.
In addition, in 2023, preferential tax rates will continue to be implemented for 44 least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations with my country and completed the exchange of documents to support and help the least developed countries to accelerate their development.
On the whole, adjustments to relevant tax rates and other arrangements will promote the construction of a high-standard free trade zone network, better shape new advantages in international cooperation and competition, improve the quality and level of international circulation, practice a mutually beneficial and win-win opening strategy, and help promote high-speed The level is open to the outside world.
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责编：杨煜 ]