Relatório especial sobre a Ásia
A Câmara publica a seguir, informativo com o título supramencionado, produzido pela UNIR – Unidade de Apoio às Negociações de Integração Regional do Ministério das Relações Exteriores do Brasil. De foco econômico, é resultado da compilação dos principais periódicos brasileiros e asiáticos, destacando fatos e análises da situação na Ásia e suas relações com o Brasil e a América Latina.
Japão será o primeiro país a importar regularmente o álcool brasileiro
Demanda do país, que proibiu o uso de éter petroquímico, será de 12 bilhões de litros por ano.
O Japão deve ser o primeiro país a importar álcool combustível brasileiro de forma regular, a partir do final de 2003. Sem revelar números, o vice-presidente da Coimex Trading, Clayton Miranda, diz que as negociações estão avançadas. Miranda participou ontem da "2.ª Conferência Internacional: A Internacionalização do Álcool Combustível", evento organizado pela Datagro e com apoio da Única, no Grand Hyatt Hotel, em São Paulo.
O Japão proibiu o uso de MTBE (éter petroquímico) em setembro do ano passado e estuda adicionar 10% de etanol à gasolina e ao diesel, o que criará uma demanda de 12 bilhões de litros de álcool por ano. As exportações serão viabilizadas por meio de uma parceria com a empresa japonesa Mitsui & Company, que também envolve o desenvolvimento, no Brasil, de uma tecnologia para aumentar a pureza do álcool.
O Japão tem um problema sério de dependência de petróleo. Segundo dados apresentados por Miranda, 99,5% do petróleo utilizado no país é importado.
Vale lembrar que o país é um dos signatários do Protocolo de Kyoto, que prevê a redução gradual das emissões de gases poluentes na atmosfera.
Com a proibição do uso do MTBE, o país tem de procurar outras fontes de oxigenação da gasolina. "As próprias montadoras japonesas já estão dando garantia integral aos veículos que usarem mistura com até 10% de etanol", diz Miranda.
Enquanto o Japão se abre para o álcool brasileiro, as perspectivas de que o Brasil consiga entrar nos mercados da União Européia e Estados Unidos continuam remotas. A produção de etanol na UE e EUA deve dobrar nos próximos dez anos. (Estado de S.Paulo, 23/10/02)
China impõe restrição a transgênicos
A China impôs restrições à comercialização de alimentos geneticamente modificados no próprio país e passou a exigir mais testes de segurança e rótulos mais detalhados para os produtos importados.
A mudança no comportamento em relação aos alimentos transgênicos adotada pelas autoridades chinesas não foi baseada em questões científicas, mas, sim, em uma atitude protecionista, segundo reportagem de ontem do "The New York Times".
O aumento das barreiras aos organismos geneticamente modificados seria o reflexo do temor do governo chinês de que os agricultores do país nãoconsigam aumentar rapidamente a produção desse tipo de alimento. Com isso, acabariam por perder mercado para os produtos importados -sobretudo dos Estados Unidos.
Esse ponto de vista é endossado pelo pesquisador chinês Huang Danian,especialista do Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa do Arroz. "Está claro que nós não vamos conseguir desenvolver [a tecnologia] mais rápido que o resto do mundo", disse.
Uma eventual perda de espaço nas exportações para países que resistem à importação de transgênicos também integra a lista de argumentos para as novas medidas.
"De certo modo, a questão dos transgênicos é apenas uma desculpa para controlar o comércio", afirmou Robert Paalberg, especialista em ciência política.
Frustração
Essas barreiras desagradaram principalmente aos agricultores norte-americanos que, após a entrada da China na OMC (Organização Mundial do Comércio), no começo deste ano, esperavam ampliar a participação no mercado do país.
As exportações de soja em setembro deste ano, porém, caíram 23% em relação ao mesmo período de 2001. Para os sojicultores dos EUA, a queda está diretamente associada às exigências de testes e rotulagem de produtos alterados geneticamente.
A questão tem preocupado o governo americano, que tem aumentado o número de visitas ao país na tentativa de convencer as autoridades chinesas a suavizar os critérios de entrada de transgênicos no país.
O tema também promete esquentar as discussões entre o presidente americano, George W. Bush, e o chinês, Jiang Zemin, no próximo dia 25, no Texas (Estados Unidos). (Folha de S.Paulo, 23/10/02)
Japan to resume export of Russian oil
The OPEC General Secretariat in Vienna said with reference to sources in the Japanese "Nippon Oil Corp." that if the USA launched a military operation against Iraq, deliveries of crude oil from the Middle East to Japan would be reduced or even stopped. That is why the Japanese "Nippon Oil Corp." intendsto resume export of Russian oil.
Japan has not been getting oil from continental Russia since 1978 when the Japanese "Idemitsu Kosan Co" broke off oil contracts with the Soviet Union.
A new transaction will be concluded between Moscow and Tokyo according to which Russian oil from Sakhalin and from Siberian oilfields will be exported to Japan. (Pravda/Rússia, 21/10/02)
Indonesian gas retains appeal despite Bali blast
While analysts say the bloody bombings in Indonesia's Bali have spoiled foreign investors' confidence in the nation, China's energy companies and experts remain optimistic about energy co-operation between the neighbouring countries.
"The impact of the terrorist attack would be limited on China's strategy to secure oil and reserves from Indonesia," said Han Wenke, vice-director of the Energy Research Institute, which is part of China's top energy planning body. "Terrorism haunts everywhere. If you are scared of terrorism, then the Middle East is the last place you would like to look for oil. But actually, 60 per cent of China's oil imports come from the Gulf region."Han said Indonesia is rich in oil and gas reserves and its close proximity to China gives it the upper hand when competing with other energy suppliers.
China is seeking overseas oil and gas reserves to feed its increasing energy demand, especially when the domestic supply is waning. Major targets include Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East and former Soviet Union countries.
The Bali bombing, which caused a lot of deaths and injuries, had led to uncertainty about China's US$8.5 billion liquefied natural gas purchase contract from Indonesia.
Just a few weeks before the bombing, China agreed to buy 2.6 million tons of gas annually for 25 years from the Tangguh gas field, thousands of kilometres east of Bali.
Zhang Jianning, vice-president of BP China, said their commitment to the development of the Tangguh project has not changed since the attacks on Indonesia's resort island.
"We are actively pushing forward the project," Zhang said. "We have been working very closely with our partners and the local government to guarantee the security of the project."
BP has a 49.66 per cent stake in the field.
Chinese companies, including PetroChina and the China National Offshore
Oil Company said their operation in the sprawling archipelago has remained
stable and additional security measures have been taken. Chinese
companies control 12 per cent of Indonesia's oil and gas output.
An official from PetroChina, the nation's largest oil company, said it
will continue to seek a good acquisition deal, despite recent events.
"If there is a lucrative deal, we will not be scared to give it up
because of the terrorism concern," said the official, who refused to be named.
(China Daily/China, 23/10/02)
Russia´s participation in Apec bisiness summit to boost trade and economic development
Moscow believes that the participation of Russian businessmen in Business Summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) will give an additional impetus to development of trade and economic ties with countries of the Asia-Pacific region.
This was disclosed by Russian Foreign Ministry's official spokesman Alexander Yakovenko in his RIA Novosti interview on the eve of the APEC summit in Mexico. According to him, over 30 Russian businessmen will take part in the summit.
He noted that the Russian Foreign Ministry attaches great importance to Russia's participation in the APEC, in particular, to holding functions on the Russian territory. In 2002 Russia hosted the Forum of business cooperation in innovation entrepreneurship held in Moscow in May and the session of the APEC working group for telecommunications held in Moscow in August, and the APEC investment symposium and large-scale investment fair held in Vladivostok (Russia's Far East) in September.
Yakovenko stressed that Russia strives to step up its participation in APEC working bodies and programmes, is prepared to make a significant contribution to the organisation activity to ensure sustained economic development of countries of the region in many directions. Moscow sees good prospects for expanding cooperation in energy sphere, specifically in construction of gas and oil pipelines.
The use by APEC countries of Russia's transportation infrastructure, i.e. cross-polar air routes from Asia to North America, the Trans-Siberian Railway with junction of, for example, the Trans-Korean railway section, and potentials of Far Eastern sea ports, is also a perspective direction.Moreover, Moscow reckons on setting investment, scientific and technological cooperation, primarily with the involvement of Siberian and Far Eastern regions. "We hope that the APEC will take an active part in these large-scale projects," the diplomat underscored. (Pravda/Rússia, 23/10/02)
India takes a bigger bite of FDI flow to Asia
India cornered a major part of the foreign direct investment inflows to South Asia in 2001 which increased by 32 per cent over the previous year to $4 billion in the region, a new United Nations report says.
Of that amount, investments in India were $3.4 billion in 2001, showing that its steps to liberalise the economy are paying off, according to the World Investment Report 2002.
But inflows to other countries in the region stagnated or declined apparently due to perceived instability in investment environment,particularly after September 11 last year.
India, which was sixth among top ten economies in Asia and Pacific region, saw its flows rise by $1.1 billion from $2.3 billion to $3.4 billion.
But India's performance was nowhere near China's where inflows touched $46.8 billion up from $40.8 billion last year.
However, Hong Kong, which was second largest economy, saw FDI decline by 62 per cent to $22.8 billion from massive inflows of $61.9 billion recorded last year.
Singapore saw its FDI rise from $5.4 billion to $8.6 billion but investments in Taiwan declined to $4.1 billion from $4.9 billion. However, it still had fourth position among the top ten. (Economic Times/India, 22/10/02)
India facing problems over farm talks in WTO
Admitting that India was facing severe problems in its WTO discussions in the farm sector, Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh today appealed for a political consensus even while assuring protection of farmers' interests at all costs.
"Our farmers may have lower level of technology but they can beat anyone in the world", Singh said while demanding a level playing field in the new WTO agreement on Agriculture which would have to be completed before January 1, 2005.
The minister, who was addressing the meeting of Agriculture Ministers of states/UTs to work out a strategy for renegotiation of WTO agreement on Agriculture said the state governments will be fully consulted on the issue.
Stating that it was not possible for India now to wriggle out of the WTO, Singh said even those nations who were not a member of the organisation were trying hard to gain entry due to its various advantages."There has to be a political will to ensure our negotiators go about with their job smoothly", he said.
The Minister said the developed countries will have to reduce their export subsidies to enable nations like India to compete in the global market.He said India's problem is not due to its subsidies which are lower than the stipulations but that of funds.
Stating that India should not be deprived of the WTO advantages as a result of resource problems, the Minister expressed concern over increase in farm subsidies in the developed countries due to political and other considerations. (Economic Times/India, 24/10/02)
Jiang: growing Sino-US ties serve common interests
Visiting Chinese President Jiang Zemin said in Houston Wednesday that a stable, healthy and growing Sino-US relationship, which conforms to the trend of the times, serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples and the people of the whole world. Jiang made the remarks at a dinner given in his honor by Houston Mayor Lee P. Brown, which was attended by more than 800 guests from the state of Texas and the city of Houston.
Jiang recalled that 30 years ago, the leaders of the two nations, with great foresight and breadth of vision, broke the ice after bilateral ties were frozen for 23 years.
The development of friendly cooperation between China and the United States will not only bring enormous benefits to the two peoples but will also greatly promote peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world as a whole, he said. Jiang said he is convinced that his meeting with US President George W. Bush in his Crawford ranch on Friday would achieve positive results and give fresh impetus to the development of the China-US ties.
Speaking at the dinner, former US President George Bush said Houston is China's important trading partner as well as a friend of the Chinese people.
With regard to trade and world peace, he believed that the US- China relations represent one of the most significant state-to- state ties.
It is in the fundamental interests of the two peoples that both sides continuously consolidate and strengthen bilateral comprehensive cooperation, Bush said.
Jiang said he believed that, through concerted efforts, the two sides will make greater progress in exchanges and cooperation in various fields.Brown said that during his two visits to China, he had signed a total of 72 cooperation agreements with the Chinese side on energy resources, ports, airports, medicine, education and high-tech, which help tighten the Houston-China relations and the US-China ties. (Xinhua/China, 24/10/02)
FOCO: Livre Comércio entre Rep. da Coréia e Chile
Give and take of Korea-Chile free trade agreement
Like in all things, Korea's free trade agreement (FTA) with Chile basicallycomes down to what's won and lost. And as in most cases, there is a mix ofboth in the pact, completed after near three years of delays.Simply put, Korea won the battle in the agricultural and automobile sectors.
As Korea wished, pears, apples and rice are off of the free trade list,putting to rest the local farming sector's concerns that Chilean fruits -recognized as competitive in both quality and price – will erode the fruit market here.
This is no small feat, as Chile made it clear throughout the talks that it will not agree to FTA without fruits. The farming sector is important for the Chilean economy because it is the chief generator of employment. Chile exported about $1.115 billion (grapes 50.5 percent, apples 20.6 percent, pears 5.2 percent) worth of fruits in 2001.
Even in grapes, there was a partial victory. Korea will continue to implement a seasonal tax system on Chilean grapes, which currently has a 20 percent global market share, for 10 years, meaning that it will lower the tariff on it only during Korea's non-harvest seasons (November through April).
Audible sighs of relief can also be heard in the automobile sector, as it has been confirmed that Korean vehicles will now enter Chile tariff free.
This will give a great boost to the Korean motor products, which currently has a 26 percent market share in Chile for a second ranking after Japan (36percent market share).
"Since Chile does not have an FTA with Japan yet, this means our vehicles will have price advantage. We may even surpass Japan for the top market share in the country," an official within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.
Win some, lose some, Korea also had to give up two major products – washing machines and refrigerators – in exchange for the above favors. Both are relatively big items, with Korea having exported $27.85 million worth of washing machines (seventh largest export category to Chile) and $8.23 million worth of refrigerators last year.
But the local government points out that Korea has managed to keep
mobile phones, which are currently its top export category to Chile, with last
year's shipment volume totaling $86.13 million.
In a dramatic turn of events, Korea also ended up foregoing Chile's financial market upon last-minute request from the Chilean government.Traditionally a sensitive area for the South American country, the government wished to keep the sector off of the free trade list entirely, but eased its terms to "renegotiation in four years" after seeing serious hesitation on Korea's part.
Aside from these major categories, the details of the agreement are fairly straightforward – covering all sectors including agriculture, service,investment, trade, government provision, intellectual property rights, etc.
In industrial products, Chile will immediately scrap tariffs on 2,300 categories from Korea including automobiles, computers, plastic products and steel goods (pipe, kitchenware); within five years for 2,100 products,including cement, petrochemical products and auto parts; and within 10 years for rubber goods, steel, fiber and apparels.
In agriculture, taxes will be immediately lifted for non-sensitive products like bulls, boars, candy canes; sugar and noodle products in five years; canned peaches and seeded corn within seven years; tropical fruit juices like kiwi and mango within nine years; peaches, pork and sweet persimmons within 10 years; and processed powdered milk within 16 years.
The Korean government further decided to put beef, poultry, plums and tangerines under the tariff rated quota (TRQ) system until after the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations. For food spices like garlic, discussion itself has been postponed until after the DDA.
The two governments also agreed to allow emergency implementation of safeguards for the agriculture sector only, should unforeseen damages rise as aresult of the FTA.
In the marine products, Chile will lift tariff on all Korean products immediately upon the FTA launch, while Korea will gradually reduce tariff during 10 years on sensitive seafood like skate and sardines.Overall, the foreign affairs and trade ministry said that exports of Korean products that will be immediately freed from tariffs in Chile make up about 67.6 percent of Korea's total exports to the South American country.Meanwhile, the Korea-Chile FTA boasts a number of historic feats. This is the first FTA signed by Korea, the only OECD member and one of five WorldTrade Organization members that does not have a single FTA.
Accordingly, this is seen as the beginning of Korea's efforts to join the global trend in forming regional trade blocs. Japan, Mexico, ASEAN and the United States will be ideal partners further down the road.Chile, on the other hand, already has FTAs with Canada, Mexico, Latin America, ANDEAN and MERCOSUR and is currently engaged in talks with the United States (it recently held the 11th round of negotiations), Japan and China.
When speaking of firsts, the Korean government also puts significance on the fact that the agreement is the first trade policy pursued and concluded by Korea on its own and not by the persuasion of the Uruguay Round or DDA, and that the Korea-Chile FTA is the first cross-Pacific FTA.
"Accordingly, with this, Korea can gain foothold in Latin America, and Chile in Northeast Asia," the foreign ministry official said.
Economically, exports to Chile in the manufacturing sector alone are estimated to grow by $636 million, more than the rate increase for imports at $205 million for a trade surplus of $431 million, according to the foreign ministry's calculations.
The Bank of Korea also forecast that the FTA with Chile will bring about $20 million in trade surplus per year, while the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency said Korea's overall shipments to Chile will grow by 5 to 10 percent per year in the short term and 10 to 20 percent in the long term.
By Kim Mi-hui Staff reporter (mihui@koreaherald.co.kr) (Korea Herald/Rep. da Coréia,
24/10/02)
