U.S. Trade With China

I find it distressing that certain members of Congress charge China with stonewalling the U.S. with regard to improving our sizable balance-of-payments deficit. They use this rationale to oppose awarding China MFN status.

If it were the Chinese practice to discriminate against U.S. exports, then I could see the validity of withholding MFN. However, it has been my company’s experience in dealing with the Chinese for over six years that the problem does not lie with them, rather it lies with us.

Chinese industrialists are hungry for U.S. goods and services. I cannot begin to count the number of Chinese business people who have asked us for assistance in locating specific needs for them. Virtually every requirement has been dismissed out of hand by U.S. sources. While most U.S. suppliers search for reasons not to deal with the Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, Italian and German businessmen are enjoying productive business relationships.

To suggest we should not extend MFN status to China because it does not trade on a level playing field is misguided. If we are to look for villains in our trade imbalance, we must look at ourselves first.

RICHARD JUDY, President

The Barich Group

San Diego