China-EU Marine Agreement effective from March

The China-EU marine agreement, applicable to both China and all 27-member countries of the Europe Union, signed on February 28, and came into effect on March 1.

It is the first such agreement ever concluded between the two sides, and will doubtless play a vital part in maintaining the healthy development of bilateral relations in marine transport. Sources from the Ministry of Communications say the agreement is concerned mainly with the establishment of commercial institutes by companies from either side in the other's home land and the use of port facilities and services etc, with both parties agreeing to non-discrimination on issues such as use of port facilities, charging, customs clearance, berthing and loading/discharge arrangements etc, and neither side will enact any administrative, technical or legislative measures that may cause actual discrimination against the people or institutes from the other side. According to the agreement, each side shall allow in its native land the conduct of marine transport and logistics services, including door-to-door multi-modal container transport by companies from the other side, both independently and in the form of joint venture firms. Bilateral trade volume between China and EU reached US$356.1 billion in value in 2007, making the EU China's largest trade partner.

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