    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book I)]
    [July 10, 1993]
    [Pages 1057-1058]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    July 10, 1993

        Good morning. This week I've been in Tokyo attending the annual
    summit of the world's seven major industrial nations. This year we
    devoted most of the time to an issue critical to most Americans, how to
    create more jobs and more prosperity.
        In this era, our standard of living is increasingly linked to other
    countries. The more other nations lower their trade barriers, the more
    American firms can export. And the more we export, the more jobs we'll
    create. The more the economies of other nations expand, the more their
    people can buy our products, creating even more American jobs. Our
    exports to other countries account for some 7 million American jobs. And
    most of our job growth over the last decade has come from increases in
    our sales overseas.
        For some weeks, I've been saying that the more we get our own
    economic house in order, the more we can get our trading partners to
    open up their markets and expand their own economies. That was clearly
    true this week. My hand was strengthened in these meetings with other
    world leaders because of everything the American people have been doing:
    calling for change, pushing the Congress to cut the deficit and increase
    investment in American jobs, demanding that we reform our campaign laws,
    our Government, and our health care system. In these meetings I was able
    to say to the world's other leaders, ``The American people are willing
    to make some tough choices, and now your nations must do the same thing
    so that together we can get the world's economy growing again.''
        For over 10 years, every time a American

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    President came to one of the meetings, the leaders of the other nations
    of the world said, ``Before we can straighten out this economy, America
    has to reduce its deficit and invest more in the education and training
    of its people.'' Now we're doing that, and we can ask the other nations
    to play their part as well.
        This has been a good week for the American people. I'm going home
    with some tangible agreements that can make life better for our workers
    and our businesses. Let me give you one example. After years of deadlock
    at these summits over the world trade agreement, we were able to get the
    world's major trading powers to agree on a plan that will dramatically
    lower tariffs on manufactured products. This agreement covers everything
    from paper to chemicals to electronics. For several groups of products,
    including steel, farm equipment, and pharmaceuticals, our agreement will
    eliminate tariffs entirely. This plan could mean the biggest reduction
    in tariffs in history. Now, how does this affect American workers? Well,
    the lower the tariffs, the lower the price on American goods when they
    hit the market in another country. And the lower the price, the more we
    sell and the more jobs we create back home.
        This agreement has added momentum to our efforts to achieve a large
    global trade agreement by the end of the year, an agreement that could
    create hundreds of thousands of export-based American jobs and
    dramatically rebuild the manufacturing sector in America. These jobs
    will be the better, higher paying jobs.
        Agreements like this are a good start to get our economy moving
    again. But there's still a lot of work ahead of us. For example, over
    the next few weeks we still need to get Congress to take the final steps
    to pass the budget and deficit cutting plan. If you haven't said
    anything to your Member of Congress to let them know how you feel,
    please pick up the phone first thing Monday morning and do that. We've
    got to keep bringing our deficit down so we can keep these interest
    rates down and get our economy moving again.
        Meeting with the world's other leaders this week drove home another
    important point. The challenges facing our Nation are also facing most
    other nations as well. Workers in every advanced country are coping with
    increased foreign competition. Communities in every major nation are
    frustrated by stubbornly high rates of unemployment. Overseas, as in the
    U.S., there is a tremendous thirst for political and economic reform so
    people can have more control over their own lives, their jobs, and their
    governments.
        The changes you and I are pursuing in our businesses, in our
    communities, in our Government, are making America stronger. But they're
    also having an impact on other countries in ways we usually don't even
    think about. We're showing people the world over that the challenges of
    this new era can be met. As the American people have done in so many
    other times, we're setting an example, offering hope, and providing
    inspiration. Our country has never shied away from challenges. After
    this week, I am more confident than ever we're going to make the world's
    new economy work for us.
        Before I sign off this morning, I want to say a word about a
    continuing tragedy I've followed closely while I've been overseas: the
    terrible flooding that has hit the Midwest in and near the Mississippi
    River Valley. On Sunday I went to speak with some of the families who
    have been hit by the rising waters in Iowa and Illinois. As someone who
    grew up in farm country, I was stunned by the devastation--houses,
    businesses, farms, in some cases whole communities, all under water.
        I want the people in these communities to know that my thoughts have
    been with them. Before I left the country, I asked Vice President Gore
    to take personal charge to make sure that all the emergency services
    available get to those who need them. I know that people all over
    America have been offering their help and support to these flood-ravaged
    cities and towns. All our prayers are with the people of the Midwest as
    they face the task of rebuilding their communities, their farms, and
    their lives. When hard times hit, the American people stand by each
    other. Even in this new era, I don't think that will ever change.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: This address was recorded at 11:55 p.m. on July 9 at the Okura
    Hotel in Tokyo, Japan, for broadcast at 11:06 p.m. on July 10 from
    Seoul, South Korea.