In accordance with its World Trade Organization commitments, China will lift the final licensing requirements and quotas on cars and key auto parts from January 1, 2005. Licensing requirements for compact disc manufacturing equipment will also be revoked.

The action means that with the exception of three special commodities, all goods may be imported without import permits.

China will maintain import licensing restrictions only on controlled chemical products, chemicals that can be easily turned into narcotics and ozonosphere-consuming materials.

This is the fourth round of quota and licensing cuts wince China's entry into the WTO in 2001.

On January 1, 2002, licensing requirement were canceled for 14 products, including terylene fiber, tobacco and tobacco products, color TV sets and certain types of automobiles, auto parts and tires. This reduced the kinds of license-granting goods from 26 to 12.

The license restrictions were further reduced to eight beginning January 1, 2003 and to two in 2004. Auto parts are grouped with autos for purposes of licensing.

(Xinhua News Agency December 17, 2004)