China was steeped in the concepts and ideology of a planned economy for 30 years, until reforms began in 1978. Although the country is now well on its way to becoming a market economy, its trading system remains shackled by its centrally planned past. Measuring the Costs of Protection in China analyzes some of the costs of trade protection and the corresponding benefits of liberalization for 25 highly protected sectors in China.

The study was conducted by a team of Chinese economists at the independent Unirule Institute in Beijing, whose president is the prominent reformer, Mao Yushi.