US continues to cite China's trade barriers and IP issues

The US Trade Representative’s office told reporters that intellectual property protection in China is still insufficient, and the country continues to constrict market access for US autos, beef and steel, Bloomberg reported. In an annual agency report released to the US Congress on Tuesday, the USTR said “serious problems remain, such as China’s refusal to grant trading rights for certain industries.” The US trade deficit with China last year reached a record US$315 billion, according to the Census Bureau. Trade tensions between the two countries have intensified since the US filed complaints against China over goods like autos and rare-earth elements with the World Trade Organization, in addition to China’s government subsidies for clean energy programs.