China suffered direct economic losses of US$35.9 billion in export last year due to technical measures set by foreign countries, according to a government report.

The figure was equivalent to 3.71 percent of China's 2006 export volume, said the report from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ).

Technical measures has become the third biggest obstacle to China's export, next to the appreciation of the Chinese currency and tariff measures, said the report

About 31.4 percent of export companies in China were affected by trade barrier in 2006, up 6.3 percentage points as compared with the previous year.

The electronic, agricultural, mineral, chemical and textile industries were the most affected.

Technical measures set by the European Union, the United States, Japan, Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) caused the greatest losses, with the EU accounting for 43.6 percent, the US 23.7 percent and Japan 19.1 percent of the total.

Technical measures affecting China's exports of industrial products are mainly related to certificate requirements, technical standards, toxic materials, packaging and environmental requirements, said the report.

Those set on agricultural products included limitations of chemical residue, heavy metal and bacteria and other sanitary requirements.