식품산업의 발전을 위한 통상정책 방향

Abstract

최근 식품산업의 중요성이 점차 커지고 있지만 이에 대한 통상정책 측면에서의 연구는 별로 없었다. 최근에 타결된 한·미, 한·EU FTA 협상을 보더라도 농산물의 관세 철폐 기간을 길게 하고 쌀 등 주요 농산물에 대해 양허제외를 하려는 노력은 어느 정도 성과를 얻었으나 식품산업을 위한 배려는 별로 없었다고 할 수 있다.

이 연구는 식품산업의 발전을 위한 관세와 비관세조치에 대한 개선 방향을 제시하려는 목적으로 시작되었다. 일반적으로 우리나라 농식품체계는 원료 농산물의 관세는 농업생산자 보호 차원에서 높게 유지하지만 가공식품은 낮은 관세로 이미 개방되어 있음이 알려져 있다. 이 연구는 이러한 주장들에 대해 산업연관표를 가지고 분석하고 있다. 가공식품은 완제품에 대한 관세뿐만 아니라 중간재의 관세도 중요하다. 하지만 중간재로 사용되는 품목 중 일부는 국내산과 경합되는 경우도 많기 때문에 수입관세를 낮추려는 조치는 국내 농업 보호와는 상충된다. 또 일부 완제품은 그 자체가 다른 제품의 중간재도 되기 때문에 모두가 만족하는 정책 제안이 힘들어진다.

이런 상황을 감안하여 이 연구에서는 국내 농업보호와 공존하는 범위 내에서 식품산업의 발전을 위한 관세와 비관세 조치에 대한 개선 방향을 제시하고 있다.

Background of Research This study is aimed at suggesting an appropriate trade policy for the food industry in Korea. The growth of food industry has been remarkable recently, but there are relatively fewer studies focused on processed food compared with the studies on agricultural products. Most concerns were centered on how to protect farmers in coping with DDA and FTAs. As a result, tariff rates for agricultural products remain high but tariff rates for processed food remain low in Korea. Therefore, tariffs of raw agricultural products are high and the tariffs of processed products are low in Korea which is contrary to the developed countries.

Method of Research When analyzing the protection rate of processed products, tariffs of raw or intermediate products should be considered together with the tariffs of final products. This study calculates the effective protection rates for processed products and raw products using an input-output table. The concession results of processed agricultural products were analyzed in comparison with those of raw agricultural products in the Korea-U.S. FTA and the Korea-EU FTA. A survey of food processing companies was added to find out the barriers in trade and their priorities of interest in trade policy.

Research Results and Implications The estimation results show that effective protection rates are higher than nominal protection rate in many processed products. It is somewhat an unexpected result but it tells that many processing companies can import raw products with low in-quota tariff rates within the TRQ system. Korea operates TRQs in 66 major agricultural products in the WTO and some more in FTAs. However, for some highly processed products, such as ice cream, bread and grain cookies, sauces, animal fats, and bean curd, the effective protection rates are lower than nominal protection rates, which is called tariff de-escalation. It needs to be improved in the future. Korea applies relatively few specific tariffs and seasonal tariffs compared with other developed countries. The reform of tariff policy should be oriented to reduce the tariff wedges between raw products and processed products. Also, Korea should use specific tariffs and seasonal tariffs for more tariff lines. TRQ administration should be transferred to more market-oriented methods and for the products of which the TRQ-applicable quantities are increased every year, it needs to be excluded from the TRQ list. Many food processing companies interviewed ask for integrated country-of-origin rules in many FTAs. They also demand more information on each exporting country's inspection and quarantine regulations. Import licensing procedures should be also improved through consultation and negotiation between the authorities of interested countries.

Researchers: JooHo Song, Ji-Hyeon Choi, Dae-Hee Chung, Hanul Park, Sounghun Kim Research period: 2012. 1. - 2012. 11. E-mail address: jhsong@krei.re.kr