Possible changes to law
( 2004-01-05 01:01) (China Daily)
* The draft adds a new
chapter to the law which lays out guidelines to facilitate investigations into
the legality of trade barriers erected by foreign countries, offering domestic
firms an official path for redress.
Under the draft, Chinese enterprises will be able to conduct investigations,
turn to arbitration and even resort to the WTO to solve trade barrier or
discrimination cases which go against WTO principles.
* Another new chapter added by the draft amendment proposal is to address the
protection of intellectual property rights.
When imports infringe on intellectual property rights, the Ministry of
Commerce or Customs can stop them from entering the country.
* While providing more relaxed conditions on granting export-import rights,
the draft amendments stipulate harsher penalties for law-breakers.
Compared with the only penalty listed in the current law -- withdrawal of
quotas -- the draft allows for criminal and administrative penalties, as well as
the abolition of operators' qualifications.
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