US-China Business Council statement on proposed Section 301 tariffs

News Release

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Washington, D.C. (April 3, 2018) – US-China Business Council (USCBC) president John Frisbie released the following statement regarding the proposed tariffs in connection with USTR’s Section 301 investigation into China’s intellectual property and technology transfer policies:

“As we have noted throughout the investigation process, the Trump administration has correctly identified Chinese technology transfer practices and protection of intellectual property (IP) as two areas that need to be addressed and improved.

“The American business community wants to see solutions to these problems, not just sanctions. China needs to substantially improve market access and competitive conditions for American companies selling to and investing in China in certain sectors, but unilateral tariffs may do more harm than good and do little to address the problems in China’s IP and tech transfer policies.

“We urge the two governments to engage in results-oriented dialogue to bring about real, positive change. Doing so would help strengthen the commercial relationship between the world’s two largest economies and ensure that mutually beneficial trade ties remain a source of stability in the overall relationship.

“USCBC provided testimony to USTR last year on the 301 case, focusing on recommended actions that would address the issues under investigation. We will review the proposed tariffs now that they have been released, but it is essential that any actions taken be consistent with the United States’ international obligations. Taking actions that result in losing a WTO case will not result in a durable solution to the problems.”

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