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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
CONTACT:
October 29, 2003
Kate Dwyer: 202-226-7326


Ways and Means Committee to Hold Hearing on China Trade Abuses

House Passes China Trade Resolution, Demonstrating Support for U.S. Manufacturers

WASHINGTON – The House Ways and Means Committee, on which Wisconsin’s First District Congressman Paul Ryan serves, will hold a hearing this week on United States-China economic relations and trade matters.  The hearing will take place on Thursday, October 30 at 2pm (Eastern time) and on Friday, October 31 at 9am.

Additionally, the House of Representatives today passed a resolution – H.Res. 414 – to send a strong message to China to fulfill its obligations under international trade agreements.  Ryan cosponsored this resolution, which acknowledges serious concerns that many of the commitments China made upon joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) have not yet been implemented or that implementation has been inadequate, and it calls on China to live up to its WTO commitments.  The resolution also urges the Administration to continue its intensive discussions with Chinese government officials on moving to a market-based valuation of the Chinese currency, relaxation of capital controls, and reform of the banking sector.

“We cannot ignore China’s trade abuses and look the other way as unfair practices hurt Wisconsin manufacturers,” Ryan said.  “China is now a member of the World Trade Organization, so it is supposed to play by the rules.  We need to hold China accountable for how it manipulates its currency and trade with our country.  Our businesses deserve an even playing field on which to compete, and this hearing will help us get to the bottom of the problems with U.S.-China trade relations.”

Among the issues expected to be addressed during this week’s hearing are: implementation of China’s WTO accession commitments (including issues relating to removal of quotas and tariff-rate quotas, export subsidies and discriminatory taxes on imports, and the use of non-tariff barriers to limit bio-engineered imports); trade relations between the United States and China; China’s currency management; and the relationship between trade with China and the U.S. economy, particularly the manufacturing sector.

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