OnDecember30,2020,theleadersofChinaandtheEUjointlyannouncedthecompletionoftheEU-ChinaComprehensiveAgreementonInvestment,whichisaframeworkagreementdesignedtoreplacetheexistingbilateralinvestmenttreatiesbetweenChinaandEUmemberstatesandbuildunityChina-EUbilateralinvestmentsystem.
Thisnegotiationhasgonethrough35roundsofnegotiationsandlastedformorethan7years.Thenegotiationwasoncestalledandacceleratedinthepastoneandahalfyears.Thenegotiationwasfinallycompletedattheendof2020,whichisalsoaftertheRegionalComprehensiveEconomicPartnershipAgreement(RCEP).,Chinahascompletedanothermajoropening-upmeasure,whichisanothersignificantvictoryofmultilateralisminthecourseofyearsofanti-globalization.
So,willthecompletionofthe"China-EUInvestmentAgreement"negotiationshaveanimpactonthestainlesssteelindustry?
1.IftheChina-EUInvestmentAgreementisreached,willtheEUstillhavetariffbarrierstoChina?
Inrecentyears,duetotheEU'scontinuedanti-dumpingofstainlesssteelexportsfrommainlandChina,theEUcurrentlyimposesataxrateofmorethan20%onstainlesssteelfrommainlandChina.Then,iftheChina-EUInvestmentAgreementisreached,willtheEUstillhavetariffbarriersagainstChina?
ThefirstthingtobeclearisthattheChina-EUInvestmentAgreementdoesnotinvolvetariffissues.Secondly,itisassumedthatthe"China-EuropeInvestmentAgreement"hascertainbenefitsforstainlesssteelexports,mainlyrelatedtostainlesssteelproducts,suchashouseholdappliances.However,afterthepreliminarynegotiationsarecompleted,theagreementneedstobefurthertransformedintolegalprovisions,whichcanonlycomeintoforceafterapprovalbytheEuropeanParliament.Theprocessisexpectedtostartinthesecondhalfof2021.
2.FromtheperspectiveofEuropeanopenareas,whatimpactdoesthe"China-EUInvestmentAgreement"haveonChinesestainlesssteelcompaniesgoingglobal?
Accordingtorelevantinformation,theChina-EUInvestmentAgreementwilllockintheexistingChineseinvestmentmarketaccessrightsinEurope,whileensuringtheopeningofsensitiveareassuchasenergy,agriculture,fishery,audio-visual,andpublicservicesinEurope.Inaddition,accordingtothe"GeneralAgreementonTradeinServices"(GATS),theEUwillopenuptheserviceindustrytoalargeextent.
FromChina'sstandpoint,theEuropeanopenfieldprovidesChineseinvestorswithgreateropportunitiestoentertheEUenergywholesaleandretailmarket,renewableenergymarketandotherfields,andpromotethedevelopmentofChina'snewenergy,automobileandotherrelatedindustries.ForChineseinvestors,theagreementalsomeansthattherearemorepotentialinvestmentopportunitiesintheEU,includingChina'scompetitiveconstructionindustry,telecommunicationsindustry,etc.,whichmaystimulatedomesticdemandforstainlesssteel.
However,fromtheperspectiveofstainlesssteelcompanies,thepossibilityofdomesticstainlesssteelplantsgoingoutandestablishingplantsintheEUisslim.DuetotherelativelylargeaccumulationofscrapsteelinEurope,Chinesestainlesssteelmillsmayenjoysomeadvantagesinthecostofstainlesssteelsmeltingwhentheygooutandinvestinconstruction.However,allstainlesssteelmillsinEuropecurrentlyuseelectricfurnacesforproduction.IfyougotoEuropetobuildaplant,theoverallcostistoohigh.Secondly,fromademandperspective,Europeanstainlesssteelproductionhasbeendecliningyearbyyear.Inaddition,duetotheimpactofthenewcrownepidemic,theEuropeaneconomyhasfallenintoadownturn,andthedemandsidehasremainedweak.Therefore,thepossibilityofdomesticstainlesssteelplantsgoingtoEuropetobuildfactoriesgenerallydoesnotexist.
3.FromtheperspectiveofChina'sopenfields,whatimpactdoesthe"China-EUInvestmentAgreement"haveondomesticstainlesssteelcompanies?
Duringthenegotiations,theareasthatChinapromisedtofurtheropenincludemanufacturing,automobiles,financialservices,healthcare,communications/cloudservices,computerservices,internationalshipping,airtransportation,businessservices,environmentalservices,etc.Atpresent,abouthalfofEU'sdirectinvestmentinChinaisconcentratedinthemanufacturingsector,suchastransportationandtelecommunicationsequipment,chemicals,healthequipment,andsoon.Intheautomotivesector,Chinaagreedtograduallycanceltherequirementsforjointventuresandpromisedmarketaccessfornewenergyvehicles.Inaddition,Chinaagreedtoabolishjointventurerequirementsforcertainindustriesinthefinancialservicesandhealthcaresectors.
FromthestandpointoftheEuropeanUnion,theEuropeanUnionhasnewopportunitiesinChina’sautomotive,consumerproducts,biomedicine,financialservices,andmedicalandhealthsectors,butmorelikelyitistheoutputinthetechnicalfield,whichhasabasicimpactontheproductionofthestainlesssteelindustry.No.
Insummary,ingeneral,the"China-EuropeInvestmentAgreement"doesnothaveanypositiveimpactonstainlesssteelandstainlesssteelcompaniesthemselves,butitmaybepositivefortheexportofstainlesssteelproducts.
中歐投資協定,對不鏽鋼行業影響幾何
2020年12月30日,中歐領導人共同(tóng)宣布完成中歐全面(miàn)投資協議(EU-ChinaComprehensiveAgreementonInvestment),這是一(yī)個框架協議,旨在取代中國和歐盟成員國現有的雙邊投資條約,構建統一的中歐(ōu)雙邊投資制度。
這一談判經曆了35輪磋商,前後持續超過7年,談判曾一度停滞(zhì),近一(yī)年半内有所加快,終于在2020年年底完成談(tán)判,這也是繼區域全面經濟夥伴關(guān)系協定(RCEP)之後,中國完成的另一個重大對外開放舉措,也是在多年的逆全球化進程中(zhōng),多邊主義取得(dé)的又一次意義(yì)重大的勝(shèng)利。
那麼,“中歐投資協(xié)定”談判的完成,對不鏽鋼行業(yè)會有(yǒu)影響嗎?
一、如(rú)果“中歐投資(zī)協定”達(dá)成,歐盟對中(zhōng)國還會有(yǒu)關稅壁壘麼?
近(jìn)年來,由(yóu)于歐盟對中國大陸的不鏽(xiù)鋼出口(kǒu)持續的反傾(qīng)銷,目前歐盟對中國(guó)大陸不鏽鋼的征收稅(shuì)率高達20%以上,那麼,如果“中歐投資協定”達成(chéng),歐盟對中國還會有關稅壁壘(lěi)麼?
首先需要明确的是(shì),“中歐投(tóu)資協定”并不涉(shè)及關稅問題(tí)。其次,假設“中歐投(tóu)資協定”對不鏽鋼出口有一定(dìng)利好,主要(yào)系不鏽鋼的相關制成品,比如(rú)家電等等。但初步談判完成,協議需進一步轉化成法律條文,并經過歐洲議會批準後才可生效。該過(guò)程預計将在2021年下半(bàn)年(nián)才可開始。
二、從歐(ōu)洲(zhōu)開放領域來看,“中(zhōng)歐投資協定”對中國不鏽鋼(gāng)企業走出去(qù)有何影響(xiǎng)?
從(cóng)相關資料顯示來看,中歐投資協定将鎖定現有的中國對歐投資(zī)市場準入權,同時确保開放歐洲能源、農業、漁業、視聽、公共服務等敏感領域。此外,根據《服務(wù)貿易總協定》(GATS),歐盟(méng)将在很大程度上開放服務行業。
站(zhàn)在中國立場,歐洲開放領域,為中國(guó)投(tóu)資者提供了更大的進(jìn)入歐盟能源批發(fā)零(líng)售市場、可再生能源市場(chǎng)等領域的機會,帶動中國新能源、汽車等相關産業的出(chū)口貿(mào)易發展。對于中國投資者,該協議達成還意味着在歐盟有更多潛在的投資(zī)機會,包括中國有競争優(yōu)勢的建築産業、電信産業等等,屆時或許會拉動國内不鏽鋼(gāng)需求。
但是從不鏽鋼企業角度而言,國内不鏽鋼廠走出去在歐盟建廠的(de)可能性微乎其微。由于(yú)歐洲的廢鋼積累量比較大,中國不鏽鋼鋼廠走出去投(tóu)資建(jiàn)設,在不鏽鋼冶煉成本上可能會享有一些優勢。但是(shì)目前歐洲的不鏽鋼鋼廠全部使用電爐生産,若去歐洲建(jiàn)廠,整體成(chéng)本過于高昂。其次,從需求角度來講,歐(ōu)洲本土不鏽鋼生産逐年下(xià)降,加之由于新冠(guàn)疫情的影響,歐洲經濟陷入低迷,需求端維持弱勢。因(yīn)此(cǐ),國内不鏽鋼廠(chǎng)去歐(ōu)洲建設工廠的可能性,總體而言不(bú)存在。
三(sān)、從中國開放領域來看,“中歐投資協定”對(duì)國内的不鏽鋼企業有何影響?
在談判中,中國答應進一步開放的領域包括(kuò)制造業、汽車、金融服務業、醫療(liáo)健康、通訊/雲服務、計算機服務、國際(jì)海運、航空運輸、商(shāng)業服務、環境服(fú)務(wù)等。目前,大約一半的歐盟對華直接(jiē)投資集中(zhōng)在制造業領域,如運輸和電信設備、化學(xué)品、健康設備等等(děng)。而汽車領域方面,中國同意逐步取消(xiāo)合資企業要求,承諾新能源汽車的市場準入。此外,中國同意取消金融(róng)服務業及醫療健康領域中部分行業的合資要求。
站(zhàn)在(zài)歐盟的(de)立場,歐(ōu)盟在中國的汽車、消費品、生物醫藥、金融服務和醫療衛生等衆多領域出現了新的機遇,但(dàn)更多的可能是(shì)技術領域内的輸(shū)出,對不鏽鋼行(háng)業生産的影響基本(běn)沒有。
綜上所述,總體而言(yán),“中歐投資(zī)協定”對不鏽鋼及不鏽鋼企業本身并沒有什麼(me)利好(hǎo)的影響(xiǎng),但對不鏽鋼制成品(pǐn)的出口(kǒu)可能會是利好(hǎo)。