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106 IRET Congressional Advisory 1 (2000)

handle is hein.taxfoundation/iretcgadv0103 and id is 1 raw text is: IRET
Congr essina
May 23, 2000 No. 106
THE CHINA TRADE QUESTION
In its WTO negotiations with the United States,
China agreed to a significant reduction in tariff and
investment barriers against U.S. businesses. When
a higher tariff country lowers its rates and repeals
other trade and investment restrictions against a
trading partner, the trading partner clearly benefits,
as do the consumers in the liberalizing country.
China  will become   a
member of the World Trade     Plere   is  no
Organization later this year  economic,
regardless of the U.S. vote on  argument agai
permanent   normal   trade    with China or
relations (PNTR).
Member nations of the
WTO are required to grant each other permanent
normal trading status. If the United States does not
grant China PNTR status, China will not be
obligated to accord U.S. products or businesses
equal treatment with products or businesses from
China or third countries.
Consequently, failure to grant China PNTR
would put U.S. businesses and labor at a competi-
tive disadvantage with respect to the rest of the

sou
list e~
anly

world in dealing with China. U.S. exports to China
and opportunities to invest in China would be hurt.
Curtailed U.S. investment opportunities in
China would mean fewer exports of services and
semi-finished products and parts to subsidiaries and
partners in China, and less royalty income from
licensing  technology  to  Chinese  enterprises.
American workers and shareholders would suffer.
If PNTR is granted, and China lowers its trade
barriers, some companies that might otherwise find
it necessary to invest and produce in China for the
Chinese market may find it possible to service
China from U.S. production sites.
Attacks on China's WTO application and the
PNTR effort by environmentalists are ill-advised.
The richer a society, the more it is willing to spend
on caring for the environment. It is the rich
nations, not the poor ones, that have the best
environmental records. Boosting incomes in the
less  developed  world  by
slashing trade barriers would
nd   technical,   be a strong plus for the world
11vironmental     environment.
cTrade reduces the chance
othei country.    for  international  conflict.
Trade   is  an   enterprise
conducted  by  people  and
businesses, not governments. When governments
allow  trade to flourish  among  people and
businesses, economic links are formed that bring
people together in a common cause and reduce the
chances of conflict.
There is no sound technical, economic, or
environmental argument against expanding trade
with China or any other country.
Stephen J. Entin
President and Executive Director

Note: Nothing here is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of IRET or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill
before the Congress.

Institute for
Research on the
Economics of
Taxation

IRET is a non-profit, tax exempt 501(c)(3) economic policy research and educational organization devoted to informing the
public about policies that will promote economic growth and efficient operation of the free market economy.
1730 K Street, N.W., Suite 910, Washington, D.C. 20006
Voice 202-463-1400 0 Fax 202-463-6199 9 Internet www.iret.org

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