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AAM’s Paul comments on wrap up of U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue on CNBC’s ‘Closing Bell’
‘Polite exchange,’ but didn’t address underlying problems
WASHINGTON, DC (May 23, 2007) – Scott Paul, executive director of the new Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), appeared today on CNBC’s “Closing Bell” to discuss the closing of this week’s Strategic Economic Dialogue with China.
Paul lamented the lack of progress made for American workers and manufacturers in these talks and that the dialogue came down to what many knew it would be – a polite exchange of views but no real action on the enforcement of international trade rules.
“It’s very disappointing that the talks didn’t address the underlying structural problems of our trade relationship with China,” Paul said. “Illegal dumping and subsidies, currency manipulation, violations of labor rights and lax or non-existent environmental enforcement are the problem. These are rules China agreed to when it entered the World Trade Organization in 2001 and when they aren’t held accountable, it stacks the deck against American workers and producers.”
AAM released a study this week that gives a first-of-its-kind look at the consequences of predatory trade practices on workers, manufacturers and their communities, and emphasizes the economic benefit of enforcing U.S. trade laws. The study, “Enforcing the Rules,” provides an analysis of 10 recent cases where American producers, from shrimp and steel to furniture and raspberry growers, were undercut by illegally subsidized or dumped imports from China and other countries.
“Enforcing the Rules” found that when current U.S. trade laws were enforced, the overall economic gains were more than 50 times that of any so-called benefits of artificially low priced imports.
The entire “Enforcing the Rules” study and its companion video are available online at www.americanmanufacturing.org.
Click here for a PDF of this release: 05.23.07 Comment on U.S.-China SED
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The Alliance for American Manufacturing is a unique non-partisan, non-profit partnership forged to strengthen manufacturing in the U.S. AAM brings together a select group of America’s leading manufacturers and the United Steelworkers to promote creative policy solutions on priorities such as international trade, energy security, health care, retirement security, currency manipulation, and other issues of mutual concern. For more information: www.americanmanufacturing.org.
