New US unit to apply trade rules
Source: Agencies |
January 30, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A NEW team of US trade enforcers will make countries think twice about putting up unfair barriers to American exports, President Barack Obama's top trade official said.
US Trade Representative Ron Kirk said in an interview that the team will include intelligence officials as well as representatives of other agencies in order to beef up US resources and crack open markets.
"We want to make sure we aren't resource-constrained. Other countries know our budget and our resources ... and so they'll game the system because they know that we're very discriminating on which cases we make," Kirk said.
"We don't want them to make ... that bet that we don't have the resources to come after them if they're intentionally and unfairly discriminating against American exporters," Kirk said, speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
He did not identify countries that could attract the attention of the unit, but Obama is under pressure to show business and voters he is taking a tough stance against China in trade issues. Republican presidential candidates have slammed Obama's policy towards China ahead of November's elections.
The US trade deficit with China may have hit a record US$300 billion in 2011. Obama has set a target of doubling total US exports between 2010 and 2015.
Kirk's office negotiates and enforces trade deals. But it has only about 250 employees, which could tempt countries to think they can flout world trade rules, Kirk said.
US Trade Representative Ron Kirk said in an interview that the team will include intelligence officials as well as representatives of other agencies in order to beef up US resources and crack open markets.
"We want to make sure we aren't resource-constrained. Other countries know our budget and our resources ... and so they'll game the system because they know that we're very discriminating on which cases we make," Kirk said.
"We don't want them to make ... that bet that we don't have the resources to come after them if they're intentionally and unfairly discriminating against American exporters," Kirk said, speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
He did not identify countries that could attract the attention of the unit, but Obama is under pressure to show business and voters he is taking a tough stance against China in trade issues. Republican presidential candidates have slammed Obama's policy towards China ahead of November's elections.
The US trade deficit with China may have hit a record US$300 billion in 2011. Obama has set a target of doubling total US exports between 2010 and 2015.
Kirk's office negotiates and enforces trade deals. But it has only about 250 employees, which could tempt countries to think they can flout world trade rules, Kirk said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
