WTO for later

Protectionism returned in the context of the global economic crisis most states protects their national interests with the help of the good old protectionism. You can come to this conclusion by reading the monitoring of foreign economic anti -crisis measures of various governments posted yesterday on the Ministry of Economic Development. First of all, we are talking about the growth of imported customs duties and a decrease in export.

Meanwhile, the final declaration of the Summer of the Group Twent, held in November last year in Washington, confirms the “fundamental importance of abandoning protectionism and closing in itself during periods of financial instability”. The twenty countries have taken on obligations in the coming 12 months to refrain from creating new barriers for investment or trading in goods and services, introducing new restrictions on export or using export stimulation, incompatible with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

However, despite this agreement, governments of different countries take various kinds of protectionist measures against their manufacturers. The Ministry of Economic Development gives the USA as an example, the president of which Barack Obama advocated a revision of the agreement on the North American Free Trade Zone with Canada and Mexico, concluded in 1992 and withdrawn a number of customs barriers between the country's participants. However, Barack Obama admitted such statements during his election company and before the meeting of the Big Twenty.

In Russia, there is also an increase in protectionist moods, the Ministry of Economic Development of some experts quotes the Ministry of Economic Development. It is most likely to talk about the “protectionist mood” experts forced a significant increase in import duties on foreign cars. The volume of ground transport in Russia is quite high: according to the Federal Customs Service, in 2008 it grew one and a half times compared to 2007 - to $ 28.28 billion. A number of experts predicts that raising duties will reduce the volume of imports to the country: reduction of imported cars has already been noted at customs points of the Primorsky Territory and the Kaliningrad Region.

However, other countries, notes the Ministry of Economic Development in their monitoring, also increase import duties against goods whose imports are significant for the economy. The main motivation: expanding the possibilities of replenishing the revenue of the budget without prejudice to the economy (since the inflationary pressure of imports in the conditions of falling world prices weakens) and increasing the level of protection of internal manufacturers from cheap imports, increasing due to the effect of the devaluation of the national currency.

So, in the European Union, imported duties were restored for rice, sorghum and barley, in India they installed a 5 percent import duty on steel and products from it, introduced 20 percent duties on unrefined soy oil. Ukraine plans to increase duties on a wide list of goods. The assistance of exporters is also provided with the help of customs tariff policy: in India, the export duty on steel, cast iron, aviation kerosene, in China - export duties for certain products of chemical and metallurgical sectors, in Kazakhstan from yesterday, export duties for oil and gas condensate for all companies operating in the country have been canceled.

In Russia, to support the domestic manufacturer, the authorities went to reduce export duties for oil and oil products and decided to cancel the export duties on Nickel.

However, the Ministry of Economic Development notes, providing assistance to exporters, the authorities of different countries are not limited only to the customs and tariff policy. So, India allocated $ 230 million for the full reimbursement of the federal value added tax (VAT) for export products, as well as for reimbursing the commission for commission for foreign agents of Indian exporters. The anti -crisis plan of Belarus provides for the provision of tax loan exporters in terms of exemption from VAT in the first half of 2009. In Kyrgyzstan, it is planned to take measures to relieve taxes of business entities that import equipment. In November, China took a package of tax measures, which involve significant VAT benefits, and investment support measures. The reform of the Vat will reduce the tax burden on enterprises by about 120 billion yuan ($ 18 billion).

The Russian authorities have not yet been reduced or benefits for VAT, however, since 2009, the rate of income tax was reduced from 24 to 20%, which should have at the disposal of the companies about 400 billion rubles, and the non -taxable minimum mining tax from $ 9 to 15 has been increased, which will save up to 100 billion rubles exporters.

Whose anti -crisis measures do you like more?

Vyacheslav Novikov / Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the Federation Council on Budget:

- With the exception of some points, frankly, I like our own measures more. Because, from my point of view, for Russia the main danger is the possibility of panic. Moreover, we, remembering the 1998 default, are very inclined to such moods.

And in this sense, one can positively note those actions that were aimed at preventing panic in the banking sector, steps, albeit very ambiguous, associated with preventing flight to dollars and euros (increasing interest rates, in particular, according to deposits). As well as measures, albeit difficult to go, but still aimed at financing the real sector of the economy (in whatever we talk about the general situation, nevertheless, the government provides assistance to key economic entities). And finally, the fact that the regions also created their own plans to support, including the same small business.

That is, work on the spot is not worth it, and, it seems to me, in general, measures are taken correctly.

Dmitry Orlov / CEO of the Agency of Political and Economic Communications:

- The conservative packages of measures that are implemented in France and China seem to me quite effective. And although the set of actions there is different (a tax emphasis has been set in China, and in France the emphasis is still aimed at financial support), nevertheless, since a rather calm regime was chosen, I think both models will work very well.

At the same time, as for the Russian model, it also provides for both taxes and the support of the largest banks and companies. That is, among the number of the set of steps that are being taken, the Russian model is far from the worst.

Anton Danilov-Danilian / Former Head of the Economic Directorate of the President of the Russian Federation:

- There are three of my positions: as a member of the General Council of “Business Russia”, as the chairman of the Committee on the Investment Policy of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and as finally, just an expert.

If we talk about “business Russia”, then for this organization the main course before the crisis was a decrease in tax burden. But then, on the contrary, they proposed a moratorium and, walking towards the country's leadership, they wanted to reflect the following - that it makes sense to exchange a decrease in tax burden to preserve the personnel composition of enterprises. Plus, some general approaches related to the stimulation of medium -sized businesses were added to this, since it is he who suffers from a bank blood cloth and trust credit.

For “Business Russia” a fundamentally important point was the position of automatic provision of state guarantees and automatic allocation of credit resources in case the enterprise meets one or another criteria, the most basic of which is simply contracting for the current year.

As for the position of the CCI, this is a complex organization, and, accordingly, expressed in each of the directions. In particular, there is a huge block of proposals related to the stimulation of the investment process; There are ideas related to changes in the tax system; There are proposals for solving the same problems of trust in trust.

Finally, as for me as an expert, my conviction was always stimulating demand. Indeed, with his help, all the main crises were ultimately “embroidered”. That is, in certain points, demand was restored, and the impulse spread throughout the economy along the chain of economic ties.

Therefore, it is necessary, firstly, to stimulate the final consumer (deductions from the income tax, incentives like those that the government for maternal capital went to, and the like).

Secondly, a state order, where the government has already worked effectively, so there is little remaining (when the state guarantees the state order itself, it would be nice if reliability is demonstrated in the chain for the suppliers of a large enterprise, as well as the advances to be large, up to 100%).

And thirdly, engage in export. And here you can use related loans to states in a difficult situation, for the obligation to buy Russian goods and much more.

At the same time, the last, my personal position, is most determined by Polson's plan. But in the part in which it stimulates the population, not banks.

Protectionism abroad

The country rate of the import duties of the import duties, %, %

Vietnam	Aviation fuel	5%	0
	Oil products	35%	25%
EU	Rice and sorghum	24.16 euros per ton	-
	Barley	8.68 euros per ton	-
India	Unpeeled palm oil	10%	0
	Culinary fat	15%	7.5%
	Unrefined soy oil	20%	0
	Metal and steel products	5%	0
Indonesia	Steel and products from it	An increase by an average of 25%
Philippines	Oil and oil products	3%	0
South Korea	Liquefied natural gas	1%	0
	Raw oil	3%	1%

Source: Ministry of Economic Development

01/26/2009 / Ksenia Batanova, the survey was prepared by Alexei Smirnov, the material was published in the "newspaper" No. 12 of 01.27.2009.