To implement the decisions and deployments of the Central Party Committee and the State Council on efforts to prevent and control novel coronavirus epidemic, and to expand imports of medical supplies and daily necessities to ensure domestic supply, the General Office of the Ministry of Commerce published the Circular on Actively Expanding Imports to Combat against Novel Coronavirus Epidemic (hereinafter referred to as the Circular) on February 3.

The Circular required local commerce departments to attach great importance to the expansion of imports to epidemic prevention and control. It is required that the local authorities strengthen organization and leadership, enhance coordination, make more efforts in communication, and fulfill the detailed responsibilities. The local authorities should expand imports of medical supplies and raw materials for production, actively make use of imports to increase domestic market supply of agricultural products like meat, give full play to the advantages of new business forms in foreign trade, and expand imports based on local conditions to win the battle against the epidemic.

The Ministry of Commerce, together with relevant business associations, will actively make good efforts in providing information services for foreign suppliers and domestic importers. Information on 51 medical suppliers or supply channels in 14 countries and regions has been provided to local commerce departments.

(All information published on this website is authentic in Chinese. English is provided for reference only.)