droht da ein Handelskrieg zwischen der USA und China ?
U.S. Criticized Over China Currency Report
Tuesday November 29, 2:30 am ET
By Martin Crutsinger, AP Economics Writer
Manufacturers, Labor Unions Upset With Administration's Failure to Cite China
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Advocates of a get-tough economic policy with China say they will lobby Congress to overrule the Bush administration's failure to brand China as a currency manipulator and impose economic sanctions as a way to deal with America's soaring trade deficit.
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The administration on Monday issued its long-awaited currency report in which it said China did not meet the "technical requirements" to be designated as a country that is managing its currency to gain unfair trade advantages.
Treasury Secretary John Snow, however, warned that China must move further to allow its currency's value to be set by market forces or face the possibility that the administration will act when the next report to Congress is due in April.
"It is imperative that China move toward greater flexibility as quickly as possible," Snow said in a statement accompanying the report.
However, that warning did not soothe critics, who said the administration had used the same tough talk six months ago only to blink and once again refuse to brand China as a currency manipulator, a designation that could eventually lead to U.S. sanctions if the administration won a case on the issue before the World Trade Organization.
AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasury Richard Trumka called the new report "a slap in the face to America's workers and manufacturers."
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the "administration's lack of action today hurts all Americans by refusing to acknowledge the obvious -- that China manipulates its currency."
He and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., agreed to postpone a vote earlier this month on their legislation to impose 27.5 percent penalty tariffs on all Chinese imports to allow President Bush to negotiate on the issue with Chinese leaders during his recent visit.
But Graham said he expected that in the near future "Congress will speak loudly and forcefully" on the matter. Their legislation gained 67 votes on a procedural motion last spring.
Snow said China's decision to allow a 2.1 percent revaluation of its currency last July had been a factor in deciding not to brand China a currency manipulator in the new report.
But American manufacturing groups said that revaluation had not made a dent in America's soaring trade deficit with China, which last year hit a record $162 billion and is on track to approach $200 billion this year.
American manufacturers contend the yuan is undervalued by as much as 40 percent, which makes Chinese products cheaper for American consumers and U.S. goods more expensive in China.
Frank Vargo, vice president for international trade at the National Association of Manufacturers, said that while China had said in July it would allow its currency to move as much as 0.3 percent daily, it had risen in value against the dollar by only an additional 0.3 percent since the initial July revaluation.
"At this rate it will take 100 years to move in a manner that will affect trade," he said.
Alan Tonelson, research fellow for the U.S. Business and Industry Council, another manufacturing group, said he believed the administration's failure to act would build support for the Schumer-Graham legislation and a bill being sponsored by Reps. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, which would allow U.S. businesses to seek penalty tariffs against Chinese competitors on the grounds China is manipulating its currency.
"We are looking to Congress," Tonelson said. "It is clearer than ever that America's domestic manufacturers cannot count on any help from the White House to remedy this totally unacceptable situation."
With members of Congress facing elections next year, supporters of legislation to punish China are hoping to make soaring U.S. deficits with China and the loss of 3 million manufacturing jobs since mid-2000 election issues.
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