WASHINGTON — The U.S. and China concluded a high-level trade meeting Wednesday by announcing the Chinese would work to curtail production of counterfeit goods and step up plans to allow distribution of foreign products to retailers there, among other commitments.
The meeting came at an especially rocky point in U.S.-China relations, as a concert of American manufacturers, including textile mills, have increased complaints about unfair Chinese trade practices, such as subsidizing production.
At a news conference, administration officials, joined by Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi, sought to demonstrate an ongoing cooperative relationship to iron out knotty trade disputes. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick described the joint agreements signed Wednesday as “action on key U.S. concerns,” while acknowledging there’s “more work ahead.”
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The one-day meeting of the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade yielded plans for more consultations on textile-apparel trade. The agreement calls for “upgrading ongoing discussions” on textiles, which will include a seven-textile-company delegation visiting Beijing for talks with their Chinese counterparts. In addition, the Chinese have committed to addressing “mutual trade and investment opportunities, barriers to U.S. exports of textile products to China, intellectual property rights and possible scenarios for the bilateral textile trade relationship when quotas are eliminated at the end of the year.”
For retailers, Chinese officials at the Washington summit agreed to speed up by six months to July 1?the World Trade Organization deadline to allow distribution of goods to?retailers in that country without using a Chinese intermediary. Separate regulations governing distribution to direct-selling retailers were agreed to be issued by the Chinese.
In addition, the U.S. and China plan to soon complete a maritime agreement giving U.S. carriers that ship into China the right to load and unload cargo without local intermediaries. As for counterfeiting and otherwise protecting the intellectual property rights of U.S. products, the Chinese agreed to toughen penalties and criminal enforcement against knockoffs.
Separately, the Food and Drug Administration announced the Chinese have agreed to once again permit the importation of U.S. cosmetics. Imports were suspended in January out of fears products might include?ingredients derived from cows that could contain mad cow disease. The Chinese agreed to allow U.S. cosmetics to be imported if they receive export certificates from the U.S. Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Association attesting to their safety.