China to get

The US Commerce Department scheduled a hearing in June to discuss whether to designate China a �market economy� under US anti-dumping rules. US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick said China's desire to obtain the more favorable market economy trade status gives the US leverage against China in labor policies, renminbi valuation, subsidies and other issues between the two countries. Under US trade law, if China were granted the largely symbolic market economy status, the Commerce Department would have to calculate potential anti-dumping duties on Chinese goods in renminbi, rather than a third country's currency, as is done for non-market economies.