Home-made Fishing Tackles Meet Overseas RivalsChina may well have the highest number of fishing enthusiasts in the world, some of which spend some 1.2 billion yuan each year on the hobby.China's fishing amateurs, which total almost 90 million, have created an alluring market for otter producers at home and from overseas. According to sources from Angling Association of China (AAC), more and more Chinese are using modern fishing tackles rather than the traditional ones made of bamboo. There were only one or two factories producing otters in China before 1983. China now has 300 large and medium sized otter producers, one third of which are funded with overseas investment. However, home-made products are less competitive than foreign products, according to AAC sources. China imported fishing tools worth of US2.5 million last year, mainly from the Republic of Korea, Japan, Germany, Canada, Italy and Norway. Tang Wenjie, AAC vice secretary general, said that the high tariff on otters in China makes them more difficult to import. He expected a much lower tariff upon China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). Tang believed that the Chinese government will abide by the WTO rules and adjust relevant laws and regulations to provide fairer competition between home and overseas companies. |
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