[Keywords:] green trade barriers, agricultural products export impact strategy
China is a big exporter of agricultural products, most of which are labor-intensive products with low scientific and technological content. Compared with developed countries, China's agricultural products have a price advantage. In order to protect their own agricultural products market, developed countries have formulated harsh technical and environmental requirements to restrict China's agricultural products from entering their markets, and green trade barriers, which seem to be "legal" non-tariff barriers, have emerged.
I. Overview of Green Trade Barriers
Green trade barrier refers to a series of environmental trade measures formulated by a country to restrict products and services from abroad in order to protect domestic products and markets on the grounds of protecting natural environment, ecological resources and human, animal and plant health. Its characteristics are the rationality of content, the legitimacy of form, the universality of protection object and scope, and the discrimination of implementation effect. The main forms of green barriers are green tariffs and market access, green technical standards, green labeling system, green health and quarantine system, green subsidies and green taxes.
Second, the impact of green trade barriers on China's agricultural exports
China is a developing agricultural country, the environmental protection level of agricultural production is still relatively low, and the production and processing technology of agricultural products is far behind that of developed countries. Therefore, China is a country greatly affected by green trade barriers. However, green trade barriers have both positive and negative effects on the export trade of agricultural products in China, but the disadvantages far outweigh the benefits.
1. Positive impact
(1) is conducive to improving the quality of agricultural products in China. China agricultural products must improve their technical content and quality if they want to enter foreign markets through green barriers. Agricultural products with high pesticide content must be eliminated, and the products will be greener.
(2) It is conducive to promoting the development of science and technology in China. The technical standards adopted by green barriers are usually based on advanced environmental protection technologies. In order to meet these requirements, China's agricultural producers must improve their own production technology level and connect with the international advanced level, so as to improve China's agricultural technology level.
(3) It is beneficial to the sustainable development of agricultural products in China. Green barriers are established to protect the environment, human health and ecological balance. By implementing green barriers, we can promote the rational allocation and effective utilization of agricultural resources in China and promote the sustainable development of agriculture.
2. Negative effects
(1) has restricted the growth rate of China's agricultural exports and reduced the export volume of China's agricultural products. China's agricultural products failed to meet the standards set by developed countries, and many agricultural products were returned or banned, which greatly restricted the export of agricultural products in China. For example, China's green tea exported to Japan was returned due to excessive pesticide residues, and bee products exported to the European Union were banned on the grounds of excessive chloramphenicol.
(2) It has increased the production cost of agricultural products in China and weakened the comparative advantage of agricultural products in China. In order to meet the stringent technical safety standards of foreign countries, domestic producers of agricultural products in China have to increase production costs and additional environmental inspection, testing and certification fees. Most of our agricultural products are labor-intensive and have price advantages, but the harsh technical requirements from abroad have weakened this advantage.
(3) Strengthened the control of developed countries on China's agricultural products trade. Developed countries, relying on their scientific and technological advantages, have formulated harsh trade technical standards in the name of environmental protection, restricting China's agricultural products from entering their own markets and China's agricultural products from exporting.
Third, the reasons why agricultural products in China are affected by green trade barriers
1. Domestic reasons
(1) Agricultural products are low in science and technology. China's agricultural products are mainly labor-intensive, the production scale is small, basically traditional family production, the technical equipment is relatively backward, and the scientific and technological content is less, so the production efficiency is relatively low, and the products produced are difficult to meet the technical standards formulated by developed countries.
(2) Agricultural products do not meet the safety and hygiene standards. Producers have low awareness of safety and hygiene, and abuse food additives and pigments in the process of production and processing. When accepting the inspection of foreign products, they often do not meet the safety and hygiene standards.
2. International reasons
(1) Foreign countries practise trade protectionism. According to H-O theorem, a country should export its rich and factor-intensive products. Many labor-intensive agricultural products in China have gained comparative advantages in price. However, after China joined the WTO, many developed countries set up green barriers to protect the domestic market.
(2) People pay more and more attention to health and environment. In order to protect people's health and environment, countries, especially developed countries, advocate "green revolution", and green trade barriers are a manifestation. Many agricultural products in China are rejected by developed countries because they contain many chemical components exceeding the standard.
Four, China agricultural exports to deal with green trade barriers.
1. Transform traditional agricultural production mode and develop environmental protection agriculture.
First of all, expand the scale of agricultural production, adjust the mode of agricultural production, apply high technology, turn decentralized production into comprehensive industrial production, and form standardized scale production; Secondly, to develop green agriculture, agricultural producers should establish a green concept, reduce the use of pesticides, introduce scientific green production technology, raise environmental awareness and maintain ecological balance.
2. Expand the export scope of agricultural products in China, and carry out transnational marketing and green marketing.
Facing the deliberate predicament of developed countries, China should consider finding new markets, expanding the scope of agricultural products exports to developing countries, avoiding green barriers in developed countries and increasing agricultural products exports while improving product quality. In the trade of agricultural products, we should adopt advanced technology to process, package and transport agricultural products, so as to make the product value chain green and implement green marketing.
3. Give full play to government functions and safeguard China's legitimate rights and interests.
The government should give full play to its functions, formulate green policies, encourage the development and export of green products, and provide green subsidies where possible. At the same time, it is necessary to establish a quality control system that conforms to international unified standards and safeguard China's legitimate rights and interests through diplomatic means. China should unite with developing countries to deal with unreasonable green barriers in developed countries.