Bush warned that the United States is falling behind other countries in the race for global commerce. He also reaffirmed his commitment to trade with China despite recent tensions over a U.S. spy plane, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and other disagreements.
Trade creates jobs for the unemployed.
When we negotiate for open markets, we're providing new hope for the world's poor. Later this week Bush will outline the terms he wants Congress to grant him in trade-negotiation authority. He hopes to convince lawmakers to let him broker deals that cannot be amended by Congress. Labor unions and environmental groups insist that any legislation enhancing the president's negotiating power should require that any trade agreements resulting from it include labor standards and environmental protections. Business advocates of expanded trade argue that such terms are inappropriate and inhibit economic progress.