As senior US and Chinese economic officials plan to discuss China’s compliance with a trade deal signed early this year, more than 40 American business groups called on Beijing to step up purchases of US manufactured goods as well as energy and other products as part of the agreement, reported the Wall Street Journal.
In a letter sent Monday to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, the business associations, led by the US Chamber of Commerce, voiced strong support for the “Phase One” trade pact but pressed both sides—especially China—to “redouble efforts to implement all aspects of the Agreement.”
The letter was also signed by the Business Roundtable, the US-China Business Council and other trade groups covering a swath of industries including aerospace, autos, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. The groups expressed their concerns that China is falling short of the overall purchase targets laid out in the trade deal despite progress it has made toward buying American farm products.
“We want to express support for the Phase One agreement and underscore the critical need for the agreement to be fully implemented,” said Myron Brilliant, executive vice president and head of international affairs at the US Chamber. “The business community wants to prevent this deal from becoming a casualty of the rising tensions in the bilateral relationship.”
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