Emergency Committee For American Trade

ECAT Urges Chinese Government Not to Proceed with Indigenous Innovation Accreditation Policy

News Release For Immediate Release

December 10, 2009 Contact: Marc Fricchione

202.659.5147

ECAT Joins International Business Leaders to Urge Chinese Government Not to Proceed with Proposed Indigenous Innovation Accreditation Policy

Washington, D.C., December 10, 2009: Calman J. Cohen, President of the Emergency Committee for American Trade (ECAT), joined with the heads of over 30 major U.S. and foreign business groups today to urge the Chinese government to not move forward with its restrictive and discriminatory indigenous innovation accreditation policy. The letter emphasizes that:

“Implementation of this system will restrict China’s capacity for innovation, impose onerous and discriminatory requirements on companies seeking to sell into the Chinese government procurement market, and contravene multiple commitments of China’s leadership to resist trade and investment protectionism and promote open government procurement policies.”

Cohen made the following statement on the release of the letter:

“ECAT worked and will continue to work extensively with our fellow business leaders to emphasize that China’s accreditation policy will undermine China’s own economic and innovation objectives and is directly contrary to high-level commitments to open markets, promote and protect intellectual property rights and work towards a non-discriminatory procurement policy. As reflected by the broad representation of services and manufacturing groups from North America, Europe and Asia that joined with ECAT, the level and breadth of concern on this issue cannot be understated.”

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Founded in 1967, ECAT is an organization of the heads of leading U.S. international business enterprises representing all major sectors of the American economy. Their annual worldwide sales exceed $2.7 trillion and they employ more than 6.4 million persons. ECAT’s purpose is to promote economic growth through the expansion of international trade and investment.

Attached Document(s): 12-10-09 International Business Letter on Indigenous Innovation Accreditation Policy.pdf
12-10-09 ECAT Release Chinese Indigenous Innovation Accreditation Policy.pdf