皇冠体育app

The United States is expected to replace the European Union as 皇冠体育app's largest trade partner this year, with increasing trade protectionism in the EU hurting bilateral trade, according to a senior Chinese government adviser.

"US trade with 皇冠体育app may hit $450 billion in 2013, while EU trade with 皇冠体育app will hover around $420 billion," Wei Jianguo, former vice-minister of commerce, told 皇冠体育app Daily in an interview.

Wei is vice-chairman and secretary-general of the 皇冠体育app Center for International Economic Exchanges, a high-level government think tank.

The EU is now 皇冠体育app's largest trade partner, while 皇冠体育app is the EU's second-largest. However, 皇冠体育app's trade with the EU fell by 3.7 percent year-on-year in 2012 and by 1.3 percent in the first four months of this year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

"The decline is attributable to the EU's growing trade protectionism and its curbs on the exports of high-tech products to 皇冠体育app," Wei said.

The EU is involved in 31 trade investigations, with 18 of them concerning 皇冠体育app, industry statistics show.

EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht announced on Tuesday that the EU has decided to impose provisional anti-dumping duties on imports of solar panels, cells and wafers from 皇冠体育app.

EU imports of Chinese solar products would be subject to a punitive duty of 11.8 percent from June 6 to August 6, after which the duty will be raised to 47.6 percent, De Gucht said.

Wei said: "Trade protectionism in the European Union has been gaining ground in the past decade, and the situation has become even worse after the sovereign debt crisis."

Some 56 percent of trade investigations by the EU targeted 皇冠体育app in recent years, while the figure 10 years ago was only 12 percent, Wei said.

"Such trade protectionism, however, will not help address the economic difficulties of the eurozone economy. Instead, it will further worsen the situation," Wei added.

Exports of 皇冠体育app's solar products are worth about $27.2 billion annually, while some 66 percent of jobs in the solar panel industry are in European job markets, according to the European Photovoltaic Industry Association.