U.S. Chamber Report Grades China's Trade Progress

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Chamber of Commerce released a report on China's progress in meeting its World Trade Organization commitments. The report showed China has taken some positive steps that deserve recognition, but has fallen short in other areas.

"The Chamber has worked consistently to engage more countries in the rules-based trade organization, but joining the WTO is the starting point - not the finish line," said Myron Brilliant, Chamber vice president for Asia. "This report reflects our promise to put as much effort into monitoring China's compliance with its WTO commitments as we did in promoting the benefits of its membership."

The report reviewed obligations China agreed to meet in six areas: agriculture, distribution, information technology, intellectual property rights, services and transportation. While recognizing areas where China has faithfully implemented its commitments, the report also called for continued improvements in transparency and advance consultation in the regulatory process, independent regulators, the removal of politics from commercial decisions, and improved intellectual property rights enforcement.

"It is too early for sweeping conclusions about China's efforts thus far," said Brilliant. "Many requirements are due to be phased in over a number of years, but China has clearly begun a major transformation of its economic system."

The Chamber's report, compiled by the Chamber's China WTO Implementation Working Group, is the first in a series of reports that will assess China's market improvements and conditions from the perspective of U.S. exporters, importers and investors. To promote new opportunities in post-WTO China, the Chamber will organize trade missions to introduce new potential investors to China, including one later this month to be led by former U.S. Chamber Chairman Steve Van Andel, Chairman of Alticor Inc.

The U.S. 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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