Erskine Bowles on Free Trade

Negotiated China trade agreement for Pres. Clinton

Burr said, "You negotiated the China trade agreement for President Clinton, which is the largest exporter of jobs not just in North Carolina but in this country. In fact, today you run from your record. You know what? I voted eight times against China," Burr said.

Bowles said he lobbied Rep. Eva Clayton, D-1st, to vote for the China trade agreement only if it included provisions for China to end a long-time ban and accept imports of U.S. tobacco leaf.

Source: Winston-Salem Journal, "NC Senatorial Debate Excerpts" Sep 28, 2004

Force foreign countries to open up their markets

I pledge to oppose any new trade agreements until the government cracks down on illegal imports. We must force foreign countries to open up their markets to US goods and service; break down barriers to US goods in foreign countries; insist that foreign countries stop direct and indirect subsidies to their state-owned factories that distort trade flow; require foreign countries to cease rampant counterfeiting of US products; require foreign companies to cease dumping their goods in our markets. Source: Bowles Jobs Plan Jul 5, 2004

Stop any new trade deal until enforcing current agreements

We must prohibit the President - Republican or Democrat - from negotiating any new trade deal or agreement until Congress is assured that all existing trade agreements are working correctly; Congress must give the President the resources he needs to enforce all existing trade agreements; to issue a trade impact statement before any new trade deal is negotiated. Washington should make adequate resources available in advance to citizens and their communities to ease the impact of the new trade deals. Source: Bowles Jobs Plan Jul 5, 2004

Stop China from damaging the manufacturing sector

There are five things we should do about China and the damage it is doing to our manufacturing companies: insist that China let its currency float; stop the unfair direct and indirect subsidies China gives to its manufacturing companies; enforce our existing trade agreements with China; enact additional safeguards to stop a disruptive surge of textile imports into the US; extend indefinitely existing quotas on Chinese textile imports. Source: Bowles Jobs Plan Jul 5, 2004

Promote exports of American farm products

We should expand the Market Access Program and require tobacco be included, require the President to negotiate the agricultural portion of international trade deals separately from larger trade measures so that agricultural priorities are not traded away for industrial or high-technology priorities, require the US Trade Representative to seek sanctions from the WTO on member countries for trade distorting subsidies, and increase assistance to farmer-owned cooperatives in accessing international markets. Source: Bowles Jobs Plan Jul 5, 2004

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