Representatives support U.S.-China trade law enforcement

House Small Business Committee Chairman Don Manzullo (R-IL) and Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) commended U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman this week for announcing the Bush Administration's intention to increase enforcement of trade laws governing U.S.-China commerce.

"As Chairman of the U.S.-China Interparliamentary Exchange, I applaud Ambassador Portman and his able new Assistant Secretary Tim Stratford for taking a hard look at the difficult issues posed by the emergence of China as a trading partner of the U.S.," Manzullo said. "Unless we can address our concerns in a fair and bilateral fashion with the Chinese, trade tensions will continue to increase within Congress for punitive measures. As an ardent free trader, I would hate to see such measures overtake this important bilateral relationship."

I've been to China and I've seen pirated U.S. goods being sold in the markets," Blackburn said. "The violation of U.S. copyright laws and the theft of our intellectual property must be addressed, and I'm glad to see the Administration taking action."

A new chief counsel position for China trade enforcement will be created within the office of U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman to spearhead this initiative. Portman announced the new position Tuesday while releasing a 29-page review of U.S.-China trade.