Search Results for: China

BY PHILIP FINE, SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKE and KEITH NUTHALL

THE OFFICE International des Épizooties (OIE) has intensified calls for beef importing countries to refrain from over-reacting to BSE outbreaks. Looking at the recent USA infection, the OIE said it opposes resulting blanket beef bans, saying only specified risk materials and animals should be blocked.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL and MARK ROWE
THE STANDING Committee for the Food Chain and Animal Health of the European Union (EU) has extended until August 15 the suspension of EU imports of fresh chicken meat and chicken products from Thailand because of the bird flu outbreak.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed the permanent abolition of anti-dumping duties on imports into the European Union (EU) of sacks and bags made of polyethylene or polypropylene from China, India, Indonesia and Thailand. Its move follows a U-turn by the European Association for Textile Polyolefins (EATP), which had in 2002 requested a review into the impending expiry of the duties on behalf of its members (who comprise 32.03 per cent of total EU production).…

BY MARK ROWE
BUMI Resources, Indonesia’s largest coal producer, has set a target of increasing coal output by 40 per cent this year. In a move that the company says is aimed to capitalise on an increase in global coal prices that may rise by as much as 20 per cent, Bumi says it plans to produce around 43 million tons, up from 30.6 million last year.…

BY PHILIP FINE

POLAND has called for formal talks with China at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), because of concerns that its local footwear industry is being damaged by cheap Chinese imports. In a note to the WTO about a selected range of footwear products, Warsaw said: "In 2001, as compared to 2000, imports increased by 31.3 per cent and in 2002 as compared to 2001 by 18.8 per cent.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
BINDING energy conservation targets have been proposed for European Union (EU) Member States by the European Commission, a move that could further tighten fuel economy rules for Europe’s transport sector. Brussels has proposed a general energy saving target of one per cent a year from 2006-12, measured against average energy distribution from the previous five years.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission plans to impose until May safeguard duties of Euro 155/tonne on imports of prepared or preserved mandarins, tangerines, satsumas, clementines, wilkings, containing added sugar, except for 11,389 tonnes from China, 906 tonnes from elsewhere and all exports from 130 developing countries.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
NATURAL disasters cost the world US$60 billion in 2003, up from around US$55 billion the previous year, a Munich Re assessment for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has claimed. The bulk of this year’s losses were caused by weather-related catastrophes, said UNEP, which is linking them with global warming.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN INTERNATIONAL accord providing for joint-research projects on transport air pollution has been struck by the European Union (EU), the United States, Japan and China. Aimed at creating a global system to measure such emissions, the deal will provide for joint vehicle testing and should lead to the next generation of European emission standards for passenger cars and light vans.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY’S Chancellor Gerhard Schroder has told television interviewers he would not oppose the sale of a German plutonium factory to China when the scheme is properly developed. He told the ZDF channel that Siemens had the “legitimate right” to export it to China, so long as the plant was used for civilian ends.…