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<h1><b><font size=4 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN
style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>Will trade talk
lead to action?<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>By <a
href="http://www.politico.com/reporters/VictoriaMcGrane.html">VICTORIA MCGRANE</a>
| 3/10/10 5:03 AM EST <br>
Read more: <a
href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34154.html#ixzz0hoeMVwHL">http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34154.html#ixzz0hoeMVwHL</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'><img border=0
width=274 height=206 id="_x0000_i1031" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CAC06F.DF3E37E0"
alt="U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk will accompany Barack Obama to the Export-Import Bank Annual Conference."><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=gray face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:gray'>U.S. Trade
Representative Ron Kirk will accompany Barack Obama to the Export-Import Bank
Annual Conference. <cite><i><font face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-family:
"Trebuchet MS"'>Photo: AP <o:p></o:p></span></font></i></cite></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><cite><i><font size=2 color=gray face="Trebuchet MS"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:gray'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></i></cite></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>It’s a
week of Democratic trade buzz — but the business community still wonders
if it will ever see action to go with the words. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>President Barack Obama will give
a speech Thursday reiterating his pledge to double exports in five years, as he
declared in his State of the Union speech. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk
will also speak at the same event, the Export-Import Bank Annual Conference. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>Meanwhile, the New Democrat
Coalition, a moderate, pro-business House caucus, has released a three-page
white paper setting forth its own trade agenda. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>Among other things, the group
said there needs to be a plan to pass stalled free-trade pacts with <st1:country-region
w:st="on">South Korea</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Colombia</st1:country-region>
and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Panama</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>“An essential part of a
proactive trade agenda is pursuing passage of completed trade agreements with
our allies and trade partners. In 2008 and 2009, American manufacturers
experienced a trade surplus of $47 billion for their goods with the 17
countries with whom the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
has free-trade agreements in place. In contrast, our manufacturers experienced
a trade deficit of $823 billion for their goods with the 214 countries with
whom we do not have free-trade agreements in place,” according to the
white paper. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>However, the three pacts are
hotly opposed by many other Democrats in part because they were signed under
President George W. Bush’s administration. While the Obama administration
has expressed support for moving forward on these deals, it’s widely
believed that the White House won’t dare move those deals before the 2010
election. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>The New Democrats’ agenda
also included support for strong worker and environmental protections in trade
agreements; enforcement provisions for trade rules; and renewal of presidential
trade promotion authority, which carves an easier path for trade agreements in
Congress. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>“With the release of this
policy paper today, the New Democrats have reiterated their belief in a robust
trade agenda designed to help American businesses and workers succeed in the
global economy,” said <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Rep. Adam Smith
(D-Wash.),</span></b> vice chairman of the New Democrats and co-chairman of the
coalition’s trade task force. “In today’s economic climate,
it is imperative that we continue to utilize every tool possible to create jobs
and spur economic growth, and a comprehensive trade agenda is one of the most
powerful resources we have at our disposal.” <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=2 color=black face="Trebuchet MS"><span
lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>Wall
Street POLITICO is a weekly column looking at issues that drive business.</span></font></i></em><font
size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Trebuchet MS"'><br>
<br>
Read more: <a
href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34154.html#ixzz0hodltKjo">http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34154.html#ixzz0hodltKjo</a></span></font><font
size=2 color=navy face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Trebuchet MS";color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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