WASHINGTON DC - The Office of the United States Trade Representative and the Department of Commerce today submitted to Congress the 2007 Subsidies Enforcement Report.  The Report details the efforts by USTR and the Department of Commerce to strengthen the international trade rules against prohibited subsidies and to enforce compliance against the unfair use of foreign government subsidies across a broad range of industries, including aerospace, steel, paper, semiconductors and fertilizer.

"This report demonstrates our continued efforts to monitor the subsidy practices of our trading partners around the world and our willingness to exercise our rights under the international trade rules that prohibit unfair subsidies," said Ambassador Schwab.  "This year we have devoted particular attention to the subsidy practices of China, multilaterally at the WTO as well as in our bilateral relationship."

The report describes the efforts by USTR and Commerce, in close cooperation with other Executive Branch agencies, to monitor and challenge unfair foreign government subsidy practices worldwide.  In particular, the report details the extensive work done by USTR and Commerce to address subsidies in China – that appear to be prohibited under the WTO Subsidies Agreement – following the April 2006 submission of China’s subsidies notification to the WTO Subsidies Committee.  The Administration is committed to providing a level playing field for U.S. manufacturers and their workers.

Background:

The Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA) of 1994 established specific subsidy enforcement roles for USTR and Commerce to exercise U.S. multilateral rights and address and remedy subsidies that harm U.S. producers.  Among the joint responsibilities assigned to USTR and Commerce, as set forth in section 281(f)(4) of the URAA, is the submission of an annual report to the Congress describing the Administration's monitoring and enforcement activities throughout the previous year.  The report submitted today is the twelfth annual report to be transmitted to the Congress pursuant to this provision.

Click here to access 2007 Subsidies Enforcement Report.