Chamber Calls China Toll Study a Tall Tale

"Some of our Friends in Washington Need to Get their Facts Straight," Brilliant Says

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today rejected a new study from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) which claims that 2.3 million U.S. jobs were lost between 2001 and 2007 due to the U.S.-China trade deficit.

"Some of our friends in Washington need to get their facts straight," said Myron Brilliant, vice president of the U.S. Chamber's Asia division. "This study neglects the most important and largest cause of job losses in the U.S.: gains in labor productivity because of technological innovation."

The Chamber released a fact sheet debunking the study's claims on job losses, noting that rising petroleum imports are far more responsible for the growing U.S. global trade deficit than trade with China. The fact sheet also highlights that despite its trade surplus, China from 1994 to 2004 shed ten times the number of jobs lost in the United States.

"Simple logic indicates that factors other than trade are driving the global reduction in manufacturing jobs, and mistakenly blaming China for our economic woes won't create more American jobs," Brilliant said. "We have serious challenges with China that must be addressed, but we must not forget that China is our third largest trading partner and fastest growing export market. On balance, U.S. commercial engagement with China is a net positive for the American workforce and the American economy."

Read the facts about U.S.-China trade

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