TY  - JOUR
AU  - Huang,Jikun
AU  - Liu,Yu
AU  - Martin,Will
AU  - Rozelle,Scott
TI  - Agricultural Trade Reform and Rural Prosperity: Lessons from China
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 13958
PY  - 2008
Y2  - April 2008
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w13958
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w13958.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Jikun Huang
Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy
Rm 3826
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jia 11, Datun Road, Anwai
Beijing  100101
CHINA
Fax: 86-10-64856533
E-Mail: jkhuang.ccap@igsnrr.ac.cn

Yu Liu
Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy
Jia 11, Datun Rd, Anwai
Beijing 100101 CHINA
E-Mail: liuy.04b@igsnrr.ac.cn

Will Martin
Development Research Group, MSN3-303
World Bank
1818 H St NW
Washington DC 20433
Tel: 202-473-3853
E-Mail: wmartin1@worldbank.org

Scott Rozelle
Stanford University
Encina Hall East, E301
Stanford, CA 94305-6055
E-Mail: rozelle@stanford.edu
M3  - presented at "18th Annual East Asian Seminar on Economics", June 22-24, 2007
AB  - Tariffs on agricultural products fell sharply in China both prior to, and as a consequence of, China's accession to the WTO. The paper examines the nature of agricultural trade reform in China since 1981, and finds that protection was quite strongly negative for most commodities, and particularly for exported goods, at the beginning of the reforms. Since then, the taxation of agriculture has declined sharply, with the abolition of production quotas and procurement pricing, and reductions in trade distortions for both imported and exported goods. Rural well-being has improved partly because of these reforms, and also because of strengthening of markets, public investment in infrastructure, research and development, health and education, and reductions in barriers to mobility of labor out of agriculture. Many challenges remain in improving rural incomes and reducing rural poverty.
ER  -