China Erecting Barriers to American Goods, U.S. Says

March 31 (Bloomberg) -- China is using regulations and tax policies to discriminate against foreign competitors, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said in its annual report.

The trade estimate report, the first by the Obama administration, also includes complaints from companies about piracy in China of copyrighted products and chemicals regulations in the European Union. The 536-page report released today lists barriers in countries from Angola to Vietnam, and follows a pledge by the new U.S. Trade Representative, Ron Kirk, to crack down on trade barriers.

The report “puts countries on notice that their trade policies are being watched,” Charlene Barshefsky, the U.S. trade representative from 1997 to 2001, said in an interview. “It puts on the table the areas of principle concern.”

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