New Commerce Secy Lists His Goals, to Hold China Accountable on Trade Rules
New Commerce Secretary John Bryson outlined the steps he will take to create more U.S. jobs during a December 15, 2011 U.S. Chamber of Commerce meeting. Bryson stated that new jobs will be created by (i) expanding advanced manufacturing, (ii) exporting more abroad, and (iii) attracting new investment to America. As part of his effort to expand exports, Bryson said he will seek time frames and concrete results for China’s trade commitments, as the U.S. “could not quietly accept China ignoring many of the trade rules. China still substantially subsidizes its own companies, discriminates against foreign companies, and has poor intellectual property rights protections.”
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Regarding his goal of supporting advanced manufacturing, Bryson announced that he was establishing a National Program Office to turn the President’s vision of advanced manufacturing into action. With respect to increasing exports, he stated that helping more companies export will continue to be a major priority at Commerce, and that the Department would pay special attention to removing overseas trade barriers, especially non-tariff barriers, such as those imposed by China. Bryson stated that he would hold China accountable to its commitments and that “ultimately, America just wants its trading partners to open their markets. Businesses should succeed or fail based on the quality and cost of their goods.” Bryson also announced the launch of a new initiative called SelectUSA, “the first coordinated federal effort to aggressively pursue and win new business investment in the U.S. from foreign and domestic companies.