Tariff cuts on way to help boost imports

China will cut tariffs on consumer goods and enhance bank financing to boost imports and ensure more stable economic growth, senior commerce officials said on Thursday.

Wang Bingnan, vice-minister of commerce, said the country will amend the Catalog of Encouraged Technologies and Product Imports, encourage banks to provide more financial assistance, and expand imports of advanced equipment and key manufacturing components.

"China will improve the supply-demand balance to facilitate global trade, including accelerating customs clearance, and upgrading the inspection and quarantine system," he said at a news conference in Beijing.