Person in charge of MOFCOM Department of Foreign Trade said to reporters that the sharp increase of iron ore import in the previous period caused the serious
backlog1 at the
wharf2 and a big growth of stock of enterprises, MOFCOM Department of Foreign Trade took counter-measures to regulate the import order of iron ore to promote fair competition.
The Official pointed3 out that at the beginning of 2006, several foreign suppliers not only participated the long-term agreement negotiation4 but also sold goods at Chinese market with high prices, violating the international pricing rule and affecting the established long-term cooperation. Applied5 by enterprises of iron and steel of China, MOFCOM Department of Foreign Trade took a temporary technical measure to check the imports of goods, which was just against the unfair trade practice such as high-price illegal transaction and was beneficial to maintain the recognized international pricing mechanism6.
The Official said that the measures basically came into effects anticipated. In view of the above-said situation, MOFCOM Department of Foreign Trade adjusted original administrative7 measures in recent days:
1, to release automatic import license8 within 10 working days when receiving enterprises' application according to regulations of automatic import license; 2, to go on enhancing supervision9 and analysis on import volume, price and countries of origin of iron ore to prevent illegal transaction at high price and behaviors of disturbing market order, and to maintain fair trade order; 3, to prevent enterprises from providing iron ore to small-sized blast furnaces which brought on environmental pollution and resources wasting, and was pronounced obsolete10 by formal State decrees.
The Official said that MOFCOM Department of Foreign Trade would maintain enhancing the supervising and analysis on iron ore import in accordance with Rules for the Administration of Automatic Import Licenses of PRC and relative WTO rules, would timely provide information service for enterprises to further regulate import order and promote the healthy development of iron ore trade