Moderation and eventual elimination of unilateral U.S. economic sanctions . In the increasingly competitive, economically multipolar world of the 1990s and beyond, U.S. efforts to economically isolate objectionable regimes cannot work unless those efforts also enjoy the active support of other major trading nations. For decades, U.S. policymakers have sought to use trade and economic leverage as a tool to achieve a host of foreign policy objectives often bearing little or no relationship to U.S. commercial objectives. However, for some time, the U.S. has lacked the ability to control world economic affairs and work its will on its unwilling trading partners. The U.S. Chamber's Board of Directors has long recognized this and in November 1996 reaffirmed its opposition to unilateral economic sanctions against any country for any reason other than to counter direct threats to the physical security or territorial integrity of the United States.
China clearly poses the greater challenge at present.
However, both nations pose major competitive challenges to U.S. commercial interests worldwide, in terms of foreign competition within their markets and their own current and future competitiveness in world markets. Given both nations' potential, both economies should demonstrate their commitment to the world trading system through implementation of market-oriented policies and acceptance of WTO discipline. The U.S. Chamber fully supports both countries' accession to the WTO but only under protocols consistent with commercial principles and their status as major trading powers. Reauthorization of trade development programs . In an ideal world, government would play a very limited role in global commerce.