The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative submitted to Congress March 3 its 2008 Trade Policy Agenda and the 2007 Annual Report of the President on the Trade Agreements Program. This document outlines the Bush administration’s trade initiatives for the coming year and reviews its work and accomplishments in 2007. It also takes a broader look at the administration’s trade-related achievements since 2001.
Goals for 2008
• working with Congress to secure prompt consideration of the free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and Korea and to improve the trade adjustment assistance program
• exploring the possibility of a Bilateral Investment Treaty with Gabon
• continuing efforts to expand trade and investment with sub-Saharan Africa using a variety of tools, including the Trade Advisory Committee on Africa
• pursuing more bilateral trade and investment with India, including through exploratory discussions on a possible BIT
• seeking to conclude a bilateral FTA with Malaysia
• re-engaging with Thailand
• participating in negotiations on investment and financial services with New Zealand, Singapore, Chile and Brunei
• pursuing ongoing WTO cases against China on intellectual property rights
Accomplishments in 2007
• congressional approval of the U.S.-Peru FTA
• negotiating a BIT with Rwanda, which was concluded in February 2008
• signing Trade and Investment Framework Agreements with Vietnam and Georgia
• bringing a WTO case against China’s use of illegal subsidies, which was resolved in November
• signing a mutual recognition agreement with Japan for testing and certification of telecommunications equipment
• signing an FTA with Korea
World Trade/Interactive
