NAM Urges U.S., China to Reach a Bilateral, Enforceable Trade Deal
Timmons: Manufacturers Need a “Lasting Agreement That Ends China’s Unfair Practices, Eliminates Tariffs and Provides Real Enforcement”
Washington, D.C. – National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement on the ongoing U.S.–China talks and the implementation of increased U.S. tariffs on Chinese products:
U.S. and Chinese officials must accelerate their efforts to reach a lasting agreement that ends China’s unfair practices, eliminates tariffs and provides real enforcement. These developments should add a greater sense of urgency to the negotiations.
For years, China has refused to play by the rules, harming manufacturers with intellectual property theft and other unfair trade practices. That’s why the NAM was the first business association, in early 2018, to call for a bilateral, enforceable trade agreement to help level the playing field for America’s manufacturing workers.
A trade war will not solve our problems. So we look forward to the United States and China returning to the negotiating table to get this deal done as soon as possible.
The NAM first called for the administration to pursue a bilateral trade agreement with China in a letter from Timmons to President Trump in January 2018. The NAM also testified before the Senate Finance Committee and U.S. Trade Representative on the impact of tariffs and the importance of reaching an enforceable bilateral trade agreement with China. In August 2018, the NAM released a full negotiating objectives framework for an agreement that will address China’s unfair trade practices and level the playing field for manufacturers in the United States.
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The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.