This Report details some of the most egregious trade barriers that foreign countries use to block exports of iconic American goods and services, and recommends strong U.S. efforts to break down these barriers, including tough new trade deals and aggressive enforcement of U.S. rights under existing trade agreements.
Foreign governments use a variety of unfair practices — including high duties, discriminatory technical rules, customs red tape and theft of intellectual property — to keep out exports of American goods and services. If left unchecked, these barriers pose a significant threat to American economic growth and job creation. This report uses iconic American products and services — such as Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Washington apples, Campbell’s soup, Major League Baseball broadcasts, Windows software and FedEx deliveries — to illustrate how foreign trade barriers can rob American companies of new business and American workers of new jobs. The Report urges the United States to fight back against unfair trade barriers by (i) pursuing tough new trade agreements, and (ii) stepping up trade enforcement under current rules. The Report stresses the importance of winning fairness for U.S. companies and U.S. workers in foreign markets, and emphasizes the risks to America’s economy of taking a “time out” from engagement on trade.
