Emergency Committee For American Trade - Publications

Introduction

Over the last century, the United States, now the world’s largest trading nation, has enjoyed enormous prosperity in large part because of the policies on trade and investment liberalization it adopted in 1934 and thereafter. Over the last decade alone, U.S. exports have accounted for approximately 30 percent of U.S. economic growth and have contributed significantly to the high standard of living enjoyed by American workers and their families. Imports have improved the variety and availability of products throughout the United States, have increased the competitiveness of U.S. companies, and have been a significant factor in dampening inflationary pressures. Trade and investment not only support U.S. prosperity, they promote greater economic growth, freedom, and stability throughout the world. As detailed in ECAT’s 2003 study, Technology, Trade and Investment: The Public Opinion Disconnect, trade and investment drive growth in the production and use of information and communication technologies in particular – growth that has accounted for most of the recent acceleration in U.S. productivity, with significant effects on improving the U.S. standard of living.

At the same time, ECAT recognizes the need to address dislocations and other adverse impacts of globalization on the United States, its workers, communities, enterprises and U.S. competitiveness. ECAT is committed to continuing to work with the Administration, Congress, and others in the private sector to promote negotiations, policies and legislation that benefit the United States in the realm of international trade and investment and that will help restore the bipartisan consensus on the value of trade and investment liberalization. Trade and investment policy standing alone, however, are insufficient to ensure U.S. international success and the broad enjoyment of globalization’s benefits. To enhance U.S. competitiveness more broadly it is necessary to lay the foundation for the success of our businesses, workers, and farmers in the global economy. Work needs to be done to promote a competitive workforce, a competitive cost structure, innovation and leadership.

In 2007, ECAT is reinvigorating its efforts to promote concrete trade and investment liberalization that supports economic growth and new opportunities both domestically and around the world. The types of policies that ECAT supports are broad, but important. They include:

Multilateral, regional and bilateral trade and investment negotiations that
create new opportunities for U.S. farmers, manufacturers and service
providers;
Strong protections for U.S. investment overseas and intellectual property;
and
The reform of domestic tax, sanctions and export control policies that
undermine the competitiveness of U.S. companies around the world.

At the same time, ECAT will continue to oppose actively efforts to erect barriers to trade and investment around the world and here in the United States.

The renewal of the trade-negotiating authority framework is critical to for the United States to enter into new trade agreements, particularly through the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) that have the potential to enhance economic growth and development throughout the world. The trade-negotiating authority framework is also critical to empower U.S. negotiators and to enhance Executive-Congressional consultations and Congressional oversight over trade negotiations.

Most important of all the international negotiations are the WTO Doha negotiations, which have the possibility of reducing and eliminating major trade barriers and creating new economic opportunities in developed and developing countries. ECAT strongly supports U.S. efforts to promote a breakthrough in these negotiations in 2007 and seeks a strong, comprehensive agreement that eliminates critical barriers to goods, services and agricultural products and moves forward on a concrete trade-facilitation agenda. In supporting new liberalization, ECAT will also seek to promote U.S. support for the multilateral trading system that has been the primary catalyst for global economic growth for the last half century. Global economic integration cannot continue to thrive and face the challenges ahead without strong rules-based global institutions built on international consensus.

ECAT’s broader agenda includes the advancement of trade and investment liberalization through the negotiation, approval and implementation of comprehensive, commercially meaningful, and trade-oriented agreements on a bilateral, subregional and regional level. To that end, ECAT supports Congressional approval of bilateral trade agreements that will eliminate barriers and open new markets, including the U.S.-Peru, U.S.-Colombia and U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreements. On April 1, 2007, the United States and Korea successfully concluded free trade agreement negotiations and ECAT is reviewing the details as they become available. ECAT will also continue its work on each individual negotiation to support comprehensive and high-standard agreements.

ECAT will also carry on its leadership efforts to ensure the inclusion of strong protections for U.S. investment and intellectual property rights in future trade and investment agreements. ECAT will also accelerate its more recent efforts to work with a broad coalition of like-minded companies and associations in support of more transparent and more open government procurement markets throughout the world.

ECAT also strongly supports the conclusion of Russia’s negotiations to accede to the WTO on a commercially strong basis that addresses key areas of concern, including intellectual property rights and agricultural barriers. ECAT supports the President’s authorization of Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Russia when it has successfully concluded those negotiations.

ECAT will also continue its work to support other policies and legislation that foster trade and investment liberalization, including improvements in trade remedy rules, Customs processes and the relationship between trade and investment with other policy issues, including labor, environment, food, and health policy.

ECAT recognizes that while expanding U.S. international trade and investment raise the U.S. standard of living overall, dislocations occur and must be addressed through public and private worker retraining and assistance programs. ECAT strongly supports efforts to extend and, where appropriate, modernize the trade adjustment assistance program to provide the coverage, job-training and other assistance needed for U.S. workers and communities to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

ECAT’s Priorities

At the same time, ECAT is increasingly working to promote concrete and full implementation of commitments under agreements that have already gone into effect, from free trade agreements with Canada. Mexico and Central America, to the obligations China and others undertook when they joined the WTO.

In addition, ECAT will continue its unique role in combating efforts to impose protectionist barriers on imports or foreign investment entering the United States or on U.S. investment activity abroad. In particular, ECAT will build upon the work it has done over four decades that demonstrates the importance of global activity to the U.S. economy. It will work vigorously to combat calls for restrictions on our trading relationship with China and on foreign direct investment – restrictions that would undermine, rather than advance, U.S. commercial and economic interests.

In addition, ECAT will expand its work to support policies and legislation that will level the playing field for U.S. companies with their foreign competitors. In particular, ECAT will continue to support (1) further reform of the international provisions of the U.S. tax code and the negotiation and ratification of bilateral tax treaties with Brazil and other key countries; (2) modernization of the U.S. export control rules in a manner that promotes U.S. technological leadership while protecting national security; and (3) continued reform of U.S. unilateral sanctions laws that are ineffective and detrimental to U.S. economic interests.

ECAT’s Priorities

ECAT’s priorities for this year are:

Actively supporting concrete efforts to move forward the WTO Doha Development: Agenda negotiations towards a comprehensive and ambitious result to eliminate barriers to goods, services and agriculture and facilitate improved trade.
Actively supporting the renewal of trade-negotiating authority to enable the: Administration, Congress and the private sector to work together in support of comprehensive and high-standard trade and investment agreements.
Actively supporting the conclusion, Congressional approval and full implementation: of comprehensive, commercially meaningful and high standard Free Trade Agreement (FTAs) with key trading partners.
Working for continued progress in the U.S.-Russia relationship and supporting: Russia’s accession to the WTO on strong commercial terms that address key areas of concern, as well as the President’s authorization of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with Russia upon its accession.
Working for continued progress in the U.S.-China relationship, including through: the promotion of continued commercial engagement with China and China’s full implementation of its WTO commitments, as well as other policies that will open China’s markets to U.S. farmers, manufacturers and service providers.
Promoting the adoption of the strongest possible protections for U.S. investors: overseas in U.S. free trade agreements and bilateral investment treaties and opposing attempts to undermine or restrict foreign investment in the United States that supports not only U.S. commercial goals, but also our broader national economic, energy and security interests.
Actively supporting the renewal and modernization of adjustment assistance: programs to provide the coverage, job-training and other assistance needed to help U.S. workers and communities meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Working for the timely and full implementation of the U.S.-Central America and: Dominican Republic FTA and other FTAs and other trade- and investment-related agreements to ensure that the negotiated benefits of these agreements are fully realized.
Promoting the development of transparent and more open government: procurement markets throughout the world through FTAs, the WTO and other avenues.
Opposing efforts to adopt protectionist or trade restrictive measures domestically,: including limits on the ability of U.S. negotiators to seek the widest possible improvement through WTO negotiations in all areas.
Actively promoting tax, export control, temporary-entry and other policies that: support the global operations of ECAT companies and enhance their competitiveness.


	Introduction Over the last century, the United States, now the world’s largest trading nation, has enjoyed enormous prosperity in large part because of the policies on trade and investment liberalization it adopted in 1934 and thereafter. Over the last decade alone, U.S. exports have accounted for approximately 30 percent of U.S. economic growth and have contributed significantly to the high standard of living enjoyed by American workers and their families. Imports have improved the variety and availability of products throughout the United States, have increased the competitiveness of U.S. companies, and have been a significant factor in dampening inflationary pressures. Trade and investment not only support U.S. prosperity, they promote greater economic growth, freedom, and stability throughout the world. As detailed in ECAT’s 2003 study, Technology, Trade and Investment: The Public Opinion Disconnect, trade and investment drive growth in the production and use of information and communication technologies in particular – growth that has accounted for most of the recent acceleration in U.S. productivity, with significant effects on improving the U.S. standard of living. At the same time, ECAT recognizes the need to address dislocations and other adverse impacts of globalization on the United States, its workers, communities, enterprises and U.S. competitiveness. ECAT is committed to continuing to work with the Administration, Congress, and others in the private sector to promote negotiations, policies and legislation that benefit the United States in the realm of international trade and investment and that will help restore the bipartisan consensus on the value of trade and investment liberalization. Trade and investment policy standing alone, however, are insufficient to ensure U.S. international success and the broad enjoyment of globalization’s benefits. To enhance U.S. competitiveness more broadly it is necessary to lay the foundation for the success of our businesses, workers, and farmers in the global economy. Work needs to be done to promote a competitive workforce, a competitive cost structure, innovation and leadership. In 2007, ECAT is reinvigorating its efforts to promote concrete trade and investment liberalization that supports economic growth and new opportunities both domestically and around the world. The types of policies that ECAT supports are broad, but important. They include: Multilateral, regional and bilateral trade and investment negotiations that create new opportunities for U.S. farmers, manufacturers and service providers; Strong protections for U.S. investment overseas and intellectual property; and The reform of domestic tax, sanctions and export control policies that undermine the competitiveness of U.S. companies around the world. At the same time, ECAT will continue to oppose actively efforts to erect barriers to trade and investment around the world and here in the United States. The renewal of the trade-negotiating authority framework is critical to for the United States to enter into new trade agreements, particularly through the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) that have the potential to enhance economic growth and development throughout the world. The trade-negotiating authority framework is also critical to empower U.S. negotiators and to enhance Executive-Congressional consultations and Congressional oversight over trade negotiations. Most important of all the international negotiations are the WTO Doha negotiations, which have the possibility of reducing and eliminating major trade barriers and creating new economic opportunities in developed and developing countries. ECAT strongly supports U.S. efforts to promote a breakthrough in these negotiations in 2007 and seeks a strong, comprehensive agreement that eliminates critical barriers to goods, services and agricultural products and moves forward on a concrete trade-facilitation agenda. In supporting new liberalization, ECAT will also seek to promote U.S. support for the multilateral trading system that has been the primary catalyst for global economic growth for the last half century. Global economic integration cannot continue to thrive and face the challenges ahead without strong rules-based global institutions built on international consensus. ECAT’s broader agenda includes the advancement of trade and investment liberalization through the negotiation, approval and implementation of comprehensive, commercially meaningful, and trade-oriented agreements on a bilateral, subregional and regional level. To that end, ECAT supports Congressional approval of bilateral trade agreements that will eliminate barriers and open new markets, including the U.S.-Peru, U.S.-Colombia and U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreements. On April 1, 2007, the United States and Korea successfully concluded free trade agreement negotiations and ECAT is reviewing the details as they become available. ECAT will also continue its work on each individual negotiation to support comprehensive and high-standard agreements. ECAT will also carry on its leadership efforts to ensure the inclusion of strong protections for U.S. investment and intellectual property rights in future trade and investment agreements. ECAT will also accelerate its more recent efforts to work with a broad coalition of like-minded companies and associations in support of more transparent and more open government procurement markets throughout the world. ECAT also strongly supports the conclusion of Russia’s negotiations to accede to the WTO on a commercially strong basis that addresses key areas of concern, including intellectual property rights and agricultural barriers. ECAT supports the President’s authorization of Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Russia when it has successfully concluded those negotiations. ECAT will also continue its work to support other policies and legislation that foster trade and investment liberalization, including improvements in trade remedy rules, Customs processes and the relationship between trade and investment with other policy issues, including labor, environment, food, and health policy. ECAT recognizes that while expanding U.S. international trade and investment raise the U.S. standard of living overall, dislocations occur and must be addressed through public and private worker retraining and assistance programs. ECAT strongly supports efforts to extend and, where appropriate, modernize the trade adjustment assistance program to provide the coverage, job-training and other assistance needed for U.S. workers and communities to meet the challenges of the 21st century. ECAT’s Priorities At the same time, ECAT is increasingly working to promote concrete and full implementation of commitments under agreements that have already gone into effect, from free trade agreements with Canada. Mexico and Central America, to the obligations China and others undertook when they joined the WTO. In addition, ECAT will continue its unique role in combating efforts to impose protectionist barriers on imports or foreign investment entering the United States or on U.S. investment activity abroad. In particular, ECAT will build upon the work it has done over four decades that demonstrates the importance of global activity to the U.S. economy. It will work vigorously to combat calls for restrictions on our trading relationship with China and on foreign direct investment – restrictions that would undermine, rather than advance, U.S. commercial and economic interests. ECAT will also continue its work to support other policies and legislation that foster trade and investment liberalization, including improvements in trade remedy rules, Customs processes and the relationship between trade and investment with other policy issues, including labor, environment, food, and health policy. In addition, ECAT will expand its work to support policies and legislation that will level the playing field for U.S. companies with their foreign competitors. In particular, ECAT will continue to support (1) further reform of the international provisions of the U.S. tax code and the negotiation and ratification of bilateral tax treaties with Brazil and other key countries; (2) modernization of the U.S. export control rules in a manner that promotes U.S. technological leadership while protecting national security; and (3) continued reform of U.S. unilateral sanctions laws that are ineffective and detrimental to U.S. economic interests. ECAT’s Priorities ECAT’s priorities for this year are: Actively supporting concrete efforts to move forward the WTO Doha Development Agenda negotiations towards a comprehensive and ambitious result to eliminate barriers to goods, services and agriculture and facilitate improved trade. Actively supporting the renewal of trade-negotiating authority to enable the Administration, Congress and the private sector to work together in support of comprehensive and high-standard trade and investment agreements. Actively supporting the conclusion, Congressional approval and full implementation of comprehensive, commercially meaningful and high standard Free Trade Agreement (FTAs) with key trading partners. Working for continued progress in the U.S.-Russia relationship and supporting Russia’s accession to the WTO on strong commercial terms that address key areas of concern, as well as the President’s authorization of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with Russia upon its accession. Working for continued progress in the U.S.-China relationship, including through the promotion of continued commercial engagement with China and China’s full implementation of its WTO commitments, as well as other policies that will open China’s markets to U.S. farmers, manufacturers and service providers. Promoting the adoption of the strongest possible protections for U.S. investors *overseas in U.S. free trade agreements and bilateral investment treaties* and opposing attempts to undermine or restrict foreign investment in the United States that supports not only U.S. commercial goals, but also our broader national economic, energy and security interests. Actively supporting the renewal and modernization of adjustment assistance programs to provide the coverage, job-training and other assistance needed to help U.S. workers and communities meet the challenges of the 21st century. Working for the timely and full implementation of the U.S.-Central America and *Dominican Republic FTA* and other FTAs and other trade- and investment-related agreements to ensure that the negotiated benefits of these agreements are fully realized. Promoting the development of transparent and more open government *procurement markets* throughout the world through FTAs, the WTO and other avenues. Opposing efforts to adopt protectionist or trade restrictive measures domestically, including limits on the ability of U.S. negotiators to seek the widest possible improvement through WTO negotiations in all areas. Actively promoting tax, export control, temporary-entry and other policies that support the global operations of ECAT companies and enhance their competitiveness. 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