[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8001-8002]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                             PNTR FOR CHINA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Berry) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, this evening I want to commend the President, 
the Speaker of the House, and leaders on both sides of the aisle for 
their work on China permanent normal trade relations. I commend the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Combest) of the Committee on Agriculture and 
the ranking member the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) for their 
work on opening markets with China and many other countries. I want to 
commend Ambassador Barshefsky, Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman

[[Page 8002]]

and Secretary of Commerce Bill Daley for their work in opening markets 
to American agriculture and other commodities.
  If Congress does not pass PNTR for China, it will be the worst 
economic policy decision since the Smoot-Hawley act of 1930 that the 
Congress has made. Smoot-Hawley was based on the idea that our economy 
can succeed while all other economies of the world fail. This is simply 
not the case. Failure to pass PNTR will be a step toward the isolation 
of Smoot-Hawley and a step away from the global business practices 
which have fueled our economic growth.
  PNTR is a good deal for business, workers, farmers, consumers and all 
Americans. It is an especially good deal for American agriculture. We 
produce more food than we can consume. With 1.3 billion people, 20 
percent of the world's population, China must import food to feed its 
people. Based on this fact, the agriculture relationship is a win-win 
situation for both countries.
  For the district that I am fortunate to represent, the First 
Congressional District of Arkansas, China PNTR represents opening the 
largest market in the world to rice, soybeans, cotton, wheat, poultry, 
fish, beef, pork and other products. Agriculture is just one example of 
the tremendous benefits that China PNTR holds for Arkansas and America. 
This agreement is also good for financial services, insurance, 
information and technology, automobiles, chemicals, entertainment, 
telecommunications and many others. When average tariffs for American 
products that are going into China are cut from 24 to 9 percent, only 
good things can result for America's economy.
  American farmers and businesses can compete on a level playing field 
with anyone else in the world. This agreement goes a long way towards 
creating a level playing field between America and China. Additionally, 
we give up nothing by granting China PNTR. This agreement grants us 
access to their markets but does not give them any more access to our 
market than they already have.

                              {time}  2045

  If China PNTR does not happen, we will lose out, the rest of the 
world will gain, other countries in regions from Europe to South 
America will be doing business and laughing all the way to the bank 
with their profits. If we do not pass PNTR, the principal effect will 
be to deny the American economy the benefits of trading with the 
largest country and the largest population in the world.
  I also firmly believe that China's human rights record must improve. 
The best way to be accomplish this is to bring them into the 
international community. By trading with them rather than refusing to 
relate to them, we will be able to have a positive influence on human 
rights in China.
  Another common misperception is that China PNTR is bad for industries 
which have been hurt by trade. This is simply not true. We will have 
stronger trade laws under this agreement with a product-specific 
safeguard and permission to unilaterally retaliate should the Chinese 
engage in unfair trading practices. This agreement contains strong 
legal protections for American industries. If we fail to pass PNTR, 
American business will lose these protections.
  Mr. Speaker, this decision is the right one. Trade with China is good 
from an economic standpoint, from a human rights standpoint, and from a 
national security standpoint. We must not allow China PNTR to be bogged 
down by politics. We should pass PNTR because it is the right thing to 
do for America.

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