A state-owned yellow phosphorus producer in southwest China's Yunnan Province has become the first Chinese enterprise to acquire the "market economy status" granted by the European Union (EU).
This is of great significance for Chinese phosphorus exporters, as China is one of the four leading yellow phosphorus exporters in the world, and Europe is a major importer, said a Chinese trade official.
It is reported that German phosphorus producers lodged an anti-dumping suit against Chinese phosphorus exporters in 1998. In the following year, the EU economic committee investigated three Chinese phosphorus producers.
At the end of the rigid investigation, the committee refuted the charges against the Chinese firms, saying that the price of China-made phosphorus exported to Europe was fixed in accordance with market guidelines.
It also conferred "market economic status" on the Malong Chemical & Building Materials Co., Ltd., a state-owned listed enterprise engaging in yellow phosphorus production for export.
(Xinhua 02/19/2001)
