The Ministry of Commerce announced the issue of ten guidebooks yesterday on technical requirements for imports to prominent trading partners in order to better inform Chinese companies doing business overseas.

"These booklets explain to domestic exporters the laws, technical provisions and certificate requirements in their major export destinations," Wei Jianguo, vice-minister of commerce, told a press conference.

The guidebooks focus on different technical regulations in foreign markets, highlighting the issues that most affect Chinese firms and providing suggestions on how to comply with them.

Jointly compiled by the ministry, local governments, industrial associations and researchers, the books cover commodities ranging from honey and leather products to air conditioners.

"We will issue more guides this year according to conditions of foreign trade," said Wei, adding that the ministry had already started to put them together.

He expected that 100 guides would be available by the end of 2006 covering firms with a minimum export volume of US$200 billion to 80 percent of China's target countries.

The vice-minister quoted an old Chinese proverb saying that "know the rival and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat."

"Companies will have a better understanding of foreign regulations on technical issues after the ministry publishes more guidebooks and updates existing ones," Wei said.

However, he said, the books were only the first step in keeping enterprises up to date on technical requirements. "Our target is to help enterprises establish a mechanism for dealing with technical barriers and build knowledge on to overcome new ones as they arise," he said.

"Chinese enterprises shall learn to benefit from technical barriers in the long run," said Wei, explaining that meeting new requirements was a way for businesses to improve themselves.

Xu Kunyuan, vice-president of the China Textile Association, also called on exporters to strengthen self-discipline so as to enhance the overall competitiveness of the industry.

In 2004, China became the third largest trader in the world with a trade volume surpassing US$1 trillion.

But despite the high growth rate of imports and exports, a large number of Chinese firms dealing overseas have encountered problems with technical requirements.

(China Daily May 11, 2005)