U.S. Chamber Calls for Greater Effort in World Trade Negotiations

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Chamber of Commerce calls for redoubled efforts by U.S. government negotiators to increase access to foreign markets for American goods and services in the world trade negotiations later this year.

"American business supports efforts to further free, but fair, trade world wide," said Willard Workman, Vice President of International Affairs before a U.S. Chamber conference on world trade and international negotiations. "Global trade negotiations offer an opportunity to kick off the 21st Century and to shape the new global economy in a way that offers the greatest benefits to the greatest number of businesses and workers."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports a trade agreement that would foster a trading system free of restrictions; enforce intellectual property rights by WTO members; and expand access to industries that are heavily regulated in many countries, such as energy, telecommunications and utilities.

"Demonstrations planned for the WTO negotiations by labor and environmentalist groups, as mentioned in a number of recent news articles, must not detract from the serious work of the organization," said Workman. "Negotiators must clarify how multilateral environmental agreements relate to the WTO system and block the use of trade sanctions to enforce labor and environmental agreements."

The United States Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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