U.S.-CHINA TALKS FAIL TO RESOLVE TRADE BARRIER ISSUES

U.S.-CHINA TALKS FAIL TO RESOLVE TRADE BARRIER ISSUES    Several major trade issues remain to be resolved before the United States is able to sign a new maritime agreement with China, said Maritime Administrator Clyde Hart, after returning from a week of negotiations in Beijing.
   The United States has been trading with China without a maritime agreement since 1998.
   Open access to Chinese ports by U.S. carriers and the ability of U.S. carriers to open branch offices at inland locations in China are two of the main hurdles U.S. negotiators had hoped to clear.
   The U.S. delegation did, however, return to Washington with a commitment that the Chinese will not interfere with the regulation of international ocean shipping rates.
   Both sides agreed to meet again, but no firm date has yet been set, Hart said.
   Hart said he will report his findings to the Federal Maritime Commission, which has authority to issue sanctions against Chinese carriers in response to the trade barriers which have been hampering U.S. carriers’ operations for years.