Prime Minister comments on exports of Russian steel to China

This year, the volume of exports of Russian steel to the Chinese market isplanned at the level not lower than last year's, Russian Prime MinisterMikhail Kasyanov reported to journalists in Beijing (China). According tohim, this is connected with the fact that the common quota is rather large,and "it is not that we are somehow infringed upon". The Prime Ministerpointed out that China's introduction of restrictions on steel supplies hadnot been connected with Russia. According to him, "this was aself-protection reaction". As Kasyanov reported, that when he was talkingto Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, they agreed that the volume of Russian steelproducts supplied to the Chinese market, would be at least the same as theyear before.At the end of May 2002, China introduced protective import taxes on Russiansteel. At the same time, China granted Russia a quota of five million tons,which was not tolled by restrictive taxes..