A survey conducted by China's top quality watchdog finds that technical trade barriers from overseas cost Chinese exporters US$57 billion last year, which is US$6.9 billion more than the year before.

The survey, conducted by China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine, was based upon findings from a total of 2,616 Chinese exporters, with one third of them reporting being affected by various barriers.

Trade barriers for producer goods mainly involved certification, technical requirements, caps on harmful substances contained in products, tagging and packaging, while those for farm produce mainly involved residue of pesticides and heavy metals, food additives and sanitation requirements.

The survey further indicated that the top five industries affected most were machinery and electronics, toys and furniture, wood and paper, agricultural produce and foods, and metals.

The eastern Shandong province, southern Guangdong province, central Henan province, and eastern Jiangsu and Anhui provinces were the top five provinces most harmed by these trade barriers, according to the survey.

(Xinhua News Agency June 19, 2010)