한ㆍ중 FTA협상 추진과정과 대응방안

Mapping Out Korea s Strategies Amidst the On-going Negotiation Process for the Korea-China FTA: An Agenda for Action

Korea and China have been conducting their FTA negotiations and had completed first-stage negotiations on the bilateral free trade agreement setting foundations. Both sides wrapped up the first-phase negotiations for the Korea-China FTA by agreeing on the modality. After this first round, they are holding talks for the second-phase negotiations, this study aims to review what has been agreed so far in the first-phase negotiations in order to allow Korea to effectively strategize for the second-phase negotiation, During the first-round of negotiation, the two countries agreed to abolish tariffs within a certain period of time on 90 percent of all products in terms of the number of items, and on 85 percent of imports in terms of their monetary value. Tariffs on normal items will be removed immediately or within 10 years after the implementation of the FTA, while those for sensitive products will be abolished within 10-20 years after the deal takes effect. Highly sensitive items, which will be excluded from tariff removal, took up 10 percent of the total in the first-stage talks. Economic cooperation, including government procurement and cooperation in industry and agricultural sectors, will be included in the second-stage negotiations. Korea needs to prepare some efficient strategies to take advantage of the FTA negotiations. Specific measures on the agriculture and fishery sectors need to be drawn up. Korea needs to protect highly sensitive items in agriculture and fishery sectors in order to minimize negative economic effects in those areas. Strategies on trade facilitation and service industry need to be discussed in the bilateral negotiations.