Maxim Golikov, acting Russian trade representative in China,
said on Tuesday in Beijing that the trade ministries of the two
countries are working together to resolve issues stemming from the
confiscation on March 12 of a large quantity of Chinese-made shoes
in Russia.
He said that the matter is complex and unlikely to be resolved
in the near term. However, Russia hopes that the incident will not
have a negative impact on trade between the two nations.
Russian police raided a warehouse near Moscow on March 12 and
confiscated more than 80 million yuan (US$9.7 million) worth of
shoes from Wenzhou footwear exporters. The police detained the
owners of the goods the following day.
Golikov said the goods were confiscated because they entered
Russia through the illegal "gray customs clearance" process.
Gray customs clearance is a regular practice among Chinese
companies, which use intermediaries to transport bulk packages of
commodities in planes and container trucks. Although Russia's
Customs Commission recognizes the practice, consignors of goods
entering Russia through this process are given no official customs
declaration documents.
As trade has expanded rapidly,
China and Russia have each set up task forces to rectify the
gray customs clearance system.
Golikov said that some Russian customs clearance agents are
using improper means to handle imports. His government has taken
action against gray customs clearance and increased cooperation
with China.
Meanwhile, China and Russia have agreed that, until the issue is
resolved, it is not acceptable for either side to take unilateral
action such as seizing goods.
Natalia Narochnitskaya, vice chair of the international affairs
committee of Russia's State Duma, the lower house of parliament,
said during her ongoing visit here that Russia has no special
policies or arrangements for China, and the Wenzhou shoe incident
was not politically motivated.
(Xinhua News Agency March 23, 2005)