USTR report to guide trade enforcement

USTR report to guide trade enforcement    The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative under new chief Ron Kirk on Tuesday delivered to Congress its annual National Trade Estimate Report, which described significant barriers to U.S. trade and investment faced in the past year.
   The report quantifies the impact of protectionist measures on the value of U.S. exports country by country.
   In response, the USTR said it has launched a review of all existing trade agreements, and will begin to monitor and enforce labor and environmental provisions to ensure they are being met on both sides. It also is prioritizing trade barriers listed in the report to deal with the most serious issues first and identifying new cases where market access for U.S. goods and services is threatened by countries violating binding agreements.
   The USTR said it would prosecute those cases through the World Trade Organization and bilateral dispute resolution procedures.
   Examples of non-tariff trade barriers faced by U.S. businesses include, according to the Trade Estimate, include:
   ' Excessive testing and certification requirements on more than 1,200 consumer goods.
   ' New requirements to register and inspect a broad range of imports.
   ' Ineffective enforcement of trademark counterfeiting and copyright policy.
   ' Burdensome import requirements or bans that are not based on science and not compliant with international standards, affecting beef and other animal products, horticulture, grains and processed foods, fruits and vegetables.
   ' Cumbersome and non-transparent approval processes for biotech products.
   ' Discriminatory excise taxes requiring imported products to pay rates 10 to 43 times higher than before.
   ' Prohibited export subsidies that distort trade.
   'While the NTE Report indicates that the U.S. government remains on the side of U.S. businesses and manufacturers facing international trade barriers, we must be vigilant against emerging isolationist trends,' said Kevin Burke, president of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, in a statement.
   'As Ambassador Kirk settles into his new post and begins formulating a trade agenda for America, I urge him to keep focused on opening markets both here and abroad for the benefit of the U.S. apparel and footwear industry competing in the global market,' Burke said.
   'Given the current challenges of a global economy in recovery, it is more important than ever for all nations who participate in the global trading system to adhere to their international obligations. Now that we have taken stock of the trade landscape, the United States should lead by example to further encourage others to open their borders to U.S. goods. One way to achieve meaningful reductions in foreign trade barriers is through a successful conclusion to the Doha Round of trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization,' Burke said.
   The full National Trade Estimate Report is available here.