Cambodian rice exports to China surge following EU tariffs

[geovalin]

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodian rice exports to China have surged after the European Union imposed duties on imports of the grain from the Southeast Asian nation, the World Bank said on Monday.

 

The EU in January imposed tariffs for three years on rice from Cambodia and Myanmar to curb an increase in imports from those two countries and to protect EU producers such as Italy.

 

Cambodia has filed a challenge with the European Court of Justice against the duties, saying the so-called “safeguard” measure did not relate to any unfair behavior and was based on broad generalizations and a flawed use of data.

 

After the tariffs were imposed, Cambodia’s milled rice exports to the EU in February reached only 10,080 tons, a 57.8 percent decline from the previous month, the bank said in its country economic update.

 

Cambodia exported 270,000 tones or 43 percent of its total milled rice exports to the EU in 2018, the World Bank said.

“Overall, the decline of Cambodia’s rice exports to the EU was more than offset by the increase in the country’s rice exports to the Chinese market,” the bank said in its report.

 

Cambodia’s rice exports to China grew by 45.6 percent, the bank said, and it managed to increase its overall exports of rice by 2 percent during the first two months of the year.

Cambodia at present gets a trade preference from the EU known as Everything But Arms (EBA), making all Cambodian exports duty free except arms.

 

The EU accounts for more than one-third of Cambodia’s exports, including garments, footwear and bicycles.

In February, the EU started an 18-month process that could lead to a suspension of Cambodia’s EBA status over its record on human rights and democracy.

 

The World Bank said if the EBA is suspended, Cambodia would see a maximum decline in exports to the EU of $654 million.

Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Editing by Tom Hoguer

--Reuters

 

[Srikcir]

 

EBA is part of EU generalized system preference which entered into force on 05 March 2001 with no time limit. https://www.moc.gov.kh/en-us/faqs/catid/5/contentid/14

I don't see where the European Court of Justice has jurisdiction with GSP rights granted to and withdrawn from Cambodia.

• EBA preferences can be removed if beneficiary countries fail to respect core human rights and labor rights.
• a fact-finding mission to Cambodia in July 2018 and subsequent bilateral meetings at the highest level, the Commission has concluded that there is evidence of serious and systematic violations of core human rights and labor rights in Cambodia, in particular of the rights to political participation as well as of the freedoms of assembly, expression and association.
• EU Member States gave their approval to the Commission proposal to launch the withdrawal procedure at the end of January 2019.

http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/press/index.cfm?id=1981

Cambodia should have read the 'fine print' before agreeing to the GSP. There's nothing to judge.

[attento]

Joke?    the EU imports massive amounts of products from China,  which has such an exemplary record on "human rights" - really ?

 

Truth = EU brave enough to take on tiny countries.  Ignores the elephant in the room