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Assessing the Implications of Merchandise Trade Liberalization in China's Accession to WTO Elena Ianchovichina, Will Martin and Emiko Fukase World Bank July 26, 2000 Presented at the 2001 Annual Policy Conference PBEC U.S. Member Committee January 31, 2001 Abstract China's forthcoming accession to the WTO will be a turning point for China, and for the rest of the world. It involves reforms across a wide range of sectors in China, both in directly trade-related sectors and behind the border. The implications of these reforms are greatly influenced by the starting point-a partially reformed economy with relatively high import duties, but in which export sectors benefit from liberal duty exemptions on the inputs used in the production of exports. China and its major trading partners are estimated to gain from accession, and some competing countries to suffer small losses. The adjustments required are greatly reduced by the liberalization that China has undertaken in the 1990s. A full evaluation of accession, and design of appropriate policy responses will require detailed analysis in a number of areas, including agricultural policies, the proposed liberalization of clothing and textiles, safeguards mechanisms, and the automobile sector. Paper for presentation to the Roundtable on China's Accession to the WTO sponsored by the Chinese Economic Society and the World Bank, July 8, 2000, Pudong, Shanghai and for the World Bank Institute Training Seminar in Beijing, July 10-11. Download the full paper below (in Adobe PDF format): 010205martin.pdf 44 pages, 138k