Advertisement

China to axe anti-import subsidy

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP

Shares of Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology fell yesterday after a United States report said China has agreed to stop subsidising wind power companies that use parts made on the mainland instead of imports.

Advertisement

Details of the agreement would be unveiled by US Trade Representative Ron Kirk in Washington last night, USA Today reported. The paper quoted Kirk as saying: 'This outcome helps ensure fairness for American clean technology companies and workers.'

News of the mainland's agreement was confirmed by a US trade spokeswoman in Washington, according to Reuters.

However, an official at the public relations office at Beijing's Ministry of Commerce yesterday was unable to confirm the report.

The US trade representative said subsidy programmes were subject to World Trade Organisation rules. The grants under the Special Fund for Wind Power Manufacturing ranged from US$6.7 million to US$22.5 million and 'seem to be contingent on' wind-power equipment makers using domestically made parts, according to the US trade office.

Advertisement

It estimated that several hundred million US dollars of grants had been provided since the programme started in 2008.

Advertisement