October 14, 2010

US officials voice concern over China's poultry duties

Senators Chuck Grassley and Orrin Hatch have asked the government to take action to cease China's discriminatory duties on US poultry products.

In a letter the Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Grassley, ranking member of the Committee on Finance, and Hatch, the next senior-most Republican, said poultry is the latest example of China's discriminatory treatment of US products in violation of China's international trade obligations.

Grassley says it's unacceptable for the Chinese government to play politics with its trade policies, especially in applying its trade remedy laws. China's economy is too large, and the country's role in the global economy is too important, for China to disregard its responsibility to uphold the rules of international trade.

Whereas according to Hatch, as the world's second largest economy, China has an obligation to play by the same rules as everyone else. The Obama Administration needs to take action to prevent the Chinese from unfairly using protectionist measures to hurt American companies.