[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 99 (Tuesday, July 26, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 26, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      FAIR STANDARDS IN TRADE ACT

  (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, U.S. trade policy can no longer be made with 
the sole aim of garnering profits at the expense of people. As much as 
trade is portrayed as a straightforward, even sterile economic 
relationship between nations, trade, in fact, is political by nature. 
U.S. trade policy, up to this point, has worked to institutionalize 
exploitation of people and environmental degradation in the developing 
world. U.S. trade policy has served to legitimize corrupt and 
undemocratic regimes. And current policy costs us jobs here at home and 
high prices for our consumers.
  Nowhere is this more evident than the administration's recent 
decision to extend most-favored-nation status to China. And for whose 
benefit? As indicted by its horrendous record on human rights, worker's 
rights and nonexistent environmental standards, China MFN has done 
little for the average Chinese. For the United States, China MFN has 
resulted in a projected $30 billion trade deficit this year. Over the 
last decade, the trade deficit with China has increased by 335 percent 
and is the fastest growing segment of the U.S. trade deficit. Trade 
deficits cost U.S. jobs.
  Today, I am introducing the Fair Standards In Trade Act which would 
make China MFN status conditional not only on human rights but China's 
labor environmental and practices. The tariff revenue generated by this 
legislation would be used to promote United States exports to China and 
thus work to reduce our trade deficit. U.S. trade policy, being 
political, should be a statement of our founding principles. I hope you 
join me in supporting this legislation.

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