Emergency Committee For American Trade

ECAT Welcomes WTO Decision on Chinese Restrictions

News Release For Immediate Release

August 12, 2009 Contact: Marc Fricchione

202.659.5147

ECAT Welcomes WTO Decision on Need for China to Open Importation and Distribution Channels

for Copyrighted Products

Washington, D.C., August 12, 2009: Calman J. Cohen, President of the Emergency Committee for American Trade (ECAT), issued the following statement after the World Trade Organization (WTO) released the report of the WTO panel reviewing the United States’ challenge to certain Chinese restrictions on the importation and distribution of certain copyrighted materials, such as films, DVDs, books and journals:

“ECAT welcomes the WTO panel decision finding that China must open its market for the importation and fair distribution of copyrighted materials. As the Panel found, Chinese limits have improperly restricted U.S. exports and the distribution of many of our creative industries, from film and music, to books and journals. This ruling will help promote greater market access for these and other products. To that end, ECAT urges China to come into compliance quickly and fully with the WTO’s ruling.

Today’s ruling provides further evidence of the importance of the strong rules-based trading system overseen by the WTO and the need for a strong dispute settlement system that all parties respect. While the United States may not agree with all WTO panel decisions, the WTO dispute settlement system has been an effective mechanism in enforcing U.S. rights. The United States has made aggressive use of the dispute-settlement process, bringing more complaints than any other WTO member. And, like in today’s decision, it has prevailed in the majority of the cases that it has filed.”

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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): 08-12-09 ECAT Welcomes WTO Decision on Chinese Restrictions.pdf