Statement of John Kerry on Bush Decision Not to Confront China on Unfair Trade Practices
4/28/2004 4:49:00 PM
To: National Desk
Contact: Chad Clanton or Phil Singer, 202-712-3000, both of John Kerry for President; Web: johnkerry.com
WASHINGTON, April 28 /U.S. Newswire/ -- John Kerry issued the following statement in response to reports that the Bush administration has decided not to launch unfair trade investigations into China's currency practices and its record of violating workers' rights:
"The simple fact is that this administration has once again refused to make any serious effort to use the legitimate rules that govern trade to level the playing field and prevent our businesses and workers from being taken to the cleaners. It won't even consider taking action. When it comes to China and defending American jobs, this White House is all talk and no action. It's time we had leadership in this country that takes action to defend American jobs."
"I am going to fight to keep US jobs in America and I'm not going to sit idly by when China or any other country pursues policies that hurt our economy. It's time to put the failed policies of the past behind us so that we can jumpstart America's economic engine and build a stronger America -- a stronger America that values good jobs, good health care, and good education."
On Monday, Kerry issued a thorough account of the administration's failures to enforce trade, entitled "Asleep on the Job," including documentation of the Administration's refusal to support a petition filed by an Ohio wire hanger firm which had been damaged by an 800 percent surge in wire hangers imported from China. President Bush has completely failed to enforce our trade agreements. Some of the major failures:
1) Under President Bush, America has become a Punching Bag: The US has been the target of almost one-third of all WTO cases filed since January 2001.
2) After finding scores of Chinese WTO rule violations in 2001, 2002, and 2003, the Administration waited until March 2004 to file its first case against China.
3) The Bush Administration has sought to gut funding for US efforts to support workers' rights and combat abusive child labor around the world.
4) The Bush Administration waited three years and nearly three million lost manufacturing jobs to make even a token effort to stand up to China on its currency manipulation.
State-by-State Job Losses in Manufacturing
State , Manufacturing Job Loss
Alabama-a, 46,000
Alaska-a, -1,000
Arizona , 37,000
Arkansas , 32,000
California , 350,000
Colorado , 35,000
Connecticut , 40,000
Delaware-a, 3,000
District of Columbia-a, 1,000
Florida , 62,000
Georgia-a, 70,000
Hawaii-a, 2,000
Idaho , 9,000
Illinois , 142,000
Indiana , 70,000
Iowa , 30,000
Kansas , 26,000
Kentucky , 37,000
Louisiana , 21,000
Maine , 17,000
Maryland , 28,000
Massachusetts , 88,000
Michigan , 136,000
Minnesota , 49,000
Mississippi , 33,000
Missouri , 42,000
Montana , 3,000
Nebraska , 12,000
Nevada-a, -1,000
New Hampshire , 27,000
New Jersey , 73,000
New Mexico , 7,000
New York , 138,000
North Carolina , 159,000
North Dakota , 1,000
Ohio , 170,000
Oklahoma-a, 33,000
Oregon , 25,000
Pennsylvania , 159,000
Rhode Island , 13,000
South Carolina-a, 58,000
South Dakota , 5,000
Tennessee-a, 61,000
Texas , 175,000
Utah , 13,000
Vermont , 10,000
Virginia , 59,000
Washington , 68,000
TOTAL , 2,764,000
a-Indicates No Seasonally Adjusted Data Compares March, 01 - March, 04 (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
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