China''s electronic, infotech product exports to top $300 billion

Mumbai: China's export of electronic and information technology products, including mobile phones, will exceed $300 billion in 2006, Lou Qinjian, deputy minister of information industry, said.

Exports of electronic and information technology products, which account for 37 per cent of China's total exports, have reached $288.6 billion in the first 10 months of this year itself, he said.

Imports of these products were valued at $231.4 billion, accounting for 36 per cent of the country's total.

China exported $40 billion worth of electronic and information products in 2005, according to the ministry.

China produced 376 million mobile phones in January-October this year - a year-on-year increase of 63.8 per cent - while global output of mobile phones is expected to exceed one billion in 2007. China will account for 40 per cent of the global production.

While China's electronic and information products gain market share worldwide, the sector is finding itself involved in the country's trade disputes, facing challenges like anti-dumping, technology barriers and high patent fees.

China will also raise regulatory barriers beginning next year as the local government pushes for what is known as China RoHS.

Modeled after the European Union's restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) directive, which took effect in July, China's pending pollution control measures for electronic information products -commonly called China RoHS - propose the same six hazardous substances, and limits their use to the same maximum-concentration values (MCVs).

Although Chinese law remains unclear, some 1,400 types of products in 11 categories, except refrigerators, washing machines and air-conditioners, have to conform to the environment-friendly regulations.