Global Trade



2009 U.S. Trade Policy Agenda Posted

March 27, 2009

"The 2009 Trade Policy Agenda and 2008 Annual Report of the President of the United States on the Trade Agreements Program," which is a report to Congress prepared by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, provides a detailed overview of the current Administration's trade agenda for 2009.



According to the agenda, the new Administration intends to renew and reform Trade Preference Programs, address the free trade agreements (FTAs) pending from the previous Administration, correct the "imbalance" in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha negotiations, and pursue a number of other improvements. Listed below are some of the key topics discussed in the agenda (partial list):


  • Working with Congress and public stakeholders on the renewal and reform of Trade Preference Programs. Careful consideration will be given to proposals that concentrate benefits more effectively on the poorest countries and those that need the margin of preference to compete.

  • Developing a plan of action to address the pending free trade agreements in consultation with Congress. The Administration is hoping for relatively quick movement on the Panama FTA and planning to establish benchmarks for progress on the Colombia and South Korea FTAs. In addition, the Administration will review the implementation of FTAs as well as bilateral investment treaties (BITs) in order to ensure the advancement of public interest.

  • Collaborating with Canada and Mexico in order to improve the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) without adversely affecting trade.

  • Working with U.S. trading partners in the WTO Doha Round negotiations to create a strong, market-opening agreement for both goods and services. The Administration maintains that this would be an important contribution to addressing the global economic crisis. However, the Administration notes that it will be necessary to correct the "imbalance" in the current negotiations in which the value of what the U.S. would be expected to give is well-known and easily calculable, but the broad flexibilities available to others leaves unclear the value of new opportunities for U.S. workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses.

  • Continuing efforts to address major unresolved issues that cause trade frictions. The Administration plans to: (i) negotiate for improved transparency and due process in U.S. trading partners' practices and policies, including government procurement and the crafting of market regulations; (ii) seek to open markets and secure fair treatment for U.S. services; (iii) negotiate and enforce strong and effective intellectual property protections; and (iv) pursue advances in trade facilitation and consumer product safety, through plurilateral negotiations if appropriate.


For more information, please access the President's 2009 Trade Policy Agenda at http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2009/2009_Trade_Policy_Agenda/asset_upload_file810_15401.pdf



For the complete text of the President's 2009 Trade Policy Agenda and 2008 Annual Report on the Trade Agreements Program, please access http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Reports_Publications/2009/2009_Trade_Policy_Agenda/asset_upload_file86_15410.pdf


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