U.S. urged to crack down on export of e-waste

Los Angeles (Xinhua) -- The Government Accountability Office (GAO) urged the U.S. government on Wednesday to stop the export of used computers and other electronic products with toxic materials that endanger foreign workers.

U.S. regulators has done little to stop the growing flood of electronic waste fueled by the short lifespan of many products, and by manufacturers who rush to get the latest gizmo or upgrade on the market, the GAO said in a report.

The GAO criticized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a lack of enforcement that allows recycling companies, some of them touting their "green" credentials, to dump computer and TV cathode ray tubes (CRTs), which contain several pounds of lead, and other "e-waste" overseas.

U.S. consumers disposed of 300 million electronic devices in 2006, and "a substantial amount ends up in countries where disposal practices can harm workers and the environment," said the65-page report.

GAO investigators posing as foreign buyers of broken CRTs in India, Pakistan and Hong Kong found 43 U.S. companies willing to export such CRTs. "Some were willing to export CRTs in apparent violation of the EPA rule," which went into effect in 2007, the report said.

A new crop of recycling companies "includes some high-end players but also bottom feeders," said Ted Smith, founder of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition. These companies claim to responsibly recycle, but instead ship discarded electronics laden with toxic materials to Asia and Africa, where workers separate out copper, gold and other valuable elements.

The coalition was launched in the 1980s, when toxic chemicals from computer chip factories leaked into Silicon Valley groundwater. In recent years the coalition has focused on the disposal of electronic products as a growing problem.

The EPA estimates that 2.6 million tons of used or unwanted electronics was discarded in the United States in 2005. John Stephenson of the GAO told a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee Wednesday that U.S. export controls on used electronics are "among the weakest in the world." The only e-waste the EPA can regulate is CRTs, and "that enforcement is minimal," he said.

In response, the EPA said the GAO report "did not provide a complete or balanced picture of the agency's electronic waste program."

Cathode ray tubes contain up to four pounds of lead, and circuit boards also contain some of this metal. Lead is toxic and can delay neurological development in children and cause other adverse health effects in adults. Lead can leach out of CRT glass and circuit boards disposed of in landfills, or it can be released into the environment by incineration.

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China cuts import taxes on large equipment spare parts

The Chinese government has cut back on import taxes on spare parts of large equipment and canceled the import tariff exemption on some complete sets.

The adjustments were made to support the domestic manufacturing of large equipment, said the Ministry of Finance.

Taxes levied on domestic enterprises for importing key spare parts of large equipment, including ultra- and extra-high voltage transmission equipment and transformers, large petro-chemical equipment and large coal-chemical equipment, would be refunded and injected into the enterprises as investment from the nation, it said.

The policy applied to imports after Jan. 1, 2008, depending on the date of declaration of imports.

In the meantime, the import of some complete sets of equipment by enterprises approved after Sept. 1, 2008 would no longer enjoy the tax exemption. Both domestic and foreign-funded projects are subject to the new policy, the ministry said.

Imports of such equipment by enterprises approved before Sept. 1 would continue to enjoy the previous tax policies until March 1, 2009.

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Brian Su Meeting with VP of Honest Abe Log Homes, Inc. and Builder from China

Mr. Brian Su hosted a business matchmaking meeting with Jeff Clements, Vice President - Dealer Operations, Honest Abe Log Homes, Inc. a Moss Tennessee based log home manufacturer; and Mr. Mao Lei, President of American Wood House (AWH) Company, a southern China-based home builder. The meeting was also attended by the log home company's local dealership representative.

In recent years, Chinese demand for U.S. made log homes and manufactured homes have been increasing in China's coastal regions. Mr. Mao has been trained and certified by the Canada Wood College. His 30-member privately-owned company is one of the main Chinese importers for the North American-made eco-friendly construction materials and log homes. Mr. Brian Su has introduced AWH Company to Honest Abe Log Homes, Inc. in summer 2008. Mr. Mao's trip to Springfield, Illinois, was arranged by Brian Su of Artisan Business Group. Both firms have agreed to work jointly on marketing U.S. made log homes in China market.

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Brian Su Meeting Chinese Clients at 2008 IMTS in Chicago

The International Manufacturing Technology Show is the premier manufacturing technology show in the Americas. More than 91,000 visitors from over all over the world attended the show in Chicago from September 7-13. Mr. Brian Su attended the event and met with the Chinese manufacturer from Zhuhai, Guandong Province. For more information, log on http://www.midwestUSAChina.com

Introduction to Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA)

Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA) is one of earliest approved and best state-level development zones in China. It now has a developed area of 27 square kilometers.
　　
　　Geographical Location

　　Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA) is located to the southeast of Tianjin City, about 45 kilometers away from downtown and 140 kilometers from Beijing. TEDA enjoys easy access to North China, Northeast China and Northwest China. Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu expressway runs through TEDA and divides it into two parts, the financial, trading and residential area covering 8.5 square kilometers to the south and an industrial park spanning acreage of 24.5 square kilometers to the north. Beyond the zone there are also the Yat-sen Scientific Industrial Park, Microelectronics Industrial Park and Petrochemical Industrial Park.

　　Climate

　　The TEDA is of temperate monsoon climate with a yearly average temperature of 12 centigrade and an average annual rainfall of 602.9 milimeters.

　　Communication and Transportation

　 　From TEDA, one can reach Beijing and Tianjin by the Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu expressway and railway. There are many highways leading to Tianjin. TEDA is 180 kilometers away from Beijing Capital International Airdrome, about 36 kilometers from Tianjin Binhai International Airdrome, which is China‘s largest air cargo terminal, and 4 kilometers from Tianjin New Harbor. Through nine trunk railroads and 10 highways, TEDA is accessible to the country‘s highway networks. The Shanhaiguan-Guangzhou Expressway and the Beijing-Fuzhou Expressway are not far away from the devleoment area. In addition, TEDA is only 2 kilometers away from Tianjin New Harbor by road, which is its closest port and about 5 kilometers by railway. The closest highway is Beijing-Tianjin-Tanggu Expressway running through the area, the closest airport is Tianjin Binhai International Airport and closest railway station, Tianjin Railway Station is 50 kilometers away.

　　Tianjin New Harbor

　 　As the largest freight terminal in North China, the harbor has an annual handling capacity of over 100 million tons, 2 million TEUs can be handled here each year, which will increase to 5 million TEUs by 2010. The port has freight exchanges with over 300 ports of 160 countries and regions in the world. With 47 container liner routes and nearly 200 international container liner routes, it is one of the container hubs in the world. With its 12-meter-deep two-way navigation channels, the port serves as the primary gateway of import and export for North China, Northeast China, and Northwest China.

　　Container Wharf

　 　With 8 berths, the container wharf is capable of handling 1 million TEUs per year. The coal wharf has 6 berths with an annual capacity of 20 million tons. The bulk grain wharf has 2 berths with an annual loading capacity of 3.5 million tons. Nanjiang Oil Wharf now has 3 berths dedicated to petrochemicals with a capacity of 10 millions tons per year. Nanjiang coke berth can handle 50,000-ton ships. Nanjiang coal wharf has two berths - one for 35,000-ton vessels and the other for 50,000-ton class. And there are terminals for fertilizers, ore (100,000-ton), and non-metal ore (35,000-ton). The passenger pier handles 30,000-ton ships to domestic ports such as Dalian, Yantai and Longkou, and to international ports such as Kobe of Japan and Inchon of South Korea.

　　Mineral Resources

　　There are more than 30 varieties of proven resources ranging from metal ores, non-metal minerals, to fuels and geothermal energy. Metallic minerals include over ten varieties such as manganese boron ore, manganese, gold, tungsten, molybdenum, copper, zinc, and iron. Non-metallic minerals include limestone, barite, stratified rock, marble, purple clay argil, medical stone and others. Proven petroleum reserves are 450 million tons and natural gas reserves, 14 billion cubic meters.

　　Industrial Structure

　 　Already in place are four pillar industries, including the electronic telecommunication sector headed by Motorola, Samsung and Sanyo, the food industry centered around Nestle and Dingxin, the optical-electromechanical integrated machinery manufacturing industry represented by Honeywell and SEW, and the bio-pharmaceutical sector led by GlaxoSmithKline and Novo Nordisk.

For more information about doing business with TEDA, contact us today.

Leveraging Trade for the Environment: Accomplishments and Opportunities

September 17, 2008 Luncheon program sponsored by the: International Trade Association of Greater Chicago; Illinois District Export Council; Illinois Global Partnership; U.S. Commercial Service/Illinois. Presentation by Mark Linscott, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Environment and Natural Resources. 11:45 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Rosewood Restaurant, 9421 West Higgins Road , Rosemont , IL . Members & clients of sponsoring organizations - $40; Non-members - $50. Contact us for details.

Tibet Aims for $380 mln in Foreign Trade despite Impact of March Riot

Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region is trying to realize 380 million U.S. dollars in foreign trade this year, despite the impact of the RMB appreciation and March 14 riot in Lhasa, the regional capital.

In the first seven months, the autonomous region did 200.96 million U.S. dollars worth of foreign trade, a year-on-year rise of 4.08 percent but posting a drop of 56 percentage points in growth rate, said Ma Xiangcun, the regional commercial department head.

"Foreign trade has been an engine of Tibet's economic growth, but the import and export volumes were dramatically decreased after the Lhasa riot," he said.

Following the riot, Tibet tightened its border security, which in turn hurt border trade. The lowered export rebate rate and RMB appreciation had also contributed to the decrease, Ma said.

The region is now making preferential policies to encourage foreign trade, such as offering a tariff rebate on imported commodities for enterprises own use and awarding enterprises exporting their own products.

Tibet was trading with 55 countries and regions as of late 2007, a rise of 13 from the previous year. Nepal remained Tibet's largest trade partner. The volume of foreign trade between the two rose by 45.81 percent to hit 262 million U.S. dollars, accounting for 66.67 percent of Tibet's total foreign trade.(Source: Xinhuanet)

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Chinese Vice Premier:China to further open up, enhance int'l investment cooperation

China will further open up to the world and step up its international investment cooperation, Vice Premier Wang Qishan promised here Monday.

Addressing the 12th Xiamen International Trade and Investment Fair in the east Fujian Province, Wang said the country would continue to stick to the national policy of opening up, constantly improve its policies on utilizing foreign investment and investing in foreign countries, and create more space for foreign companies to develop their business in China.

China's reform and opening up policy had significantly transformed the country in the past 30 years, and its accession to the World Trade Organization had further integrated it with the global economy, he said.

Although the country met with severe natural disasters and an unfavorable international economic environment, its coping measures made its national economy stay healthy on the whole, he said, noting it was confident in and capable of overcoming the current difficulties and challenges.

Expounding on improving its policies on utilizing foreign investment and investing in foreign countries, Wang vowed to further improve the country's investment environment including building a service-oriented government, a market of fair competition, a transparent legal environment and stable policy environment.

He also stressed lifting the quality and diversifying the means of utilizing foreign investment, and encouraging domestic enterprises to invest in foreign countries.

The Chinese government had always supported trade and investment liberalization and opposed protectionism in any form, he said, vowing to work with the world to eliminate trade and investment barriers and cope with various difficulties and challenges for global economic prosperity and stability.

Attendants of the forum are from 120 countries and regions and seven international organizations.

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