M E M O R A N D U M

To:       Reporters and Editors

Re:       China intellectual property case

            Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Committee on Finance, with jurisdiction over international trade, today made the following comment after a World Trade Organization dispute settlement panel found that certain aspects of China’s intellectual property rights laws are inconsistent with China’s World Trade Organization obligations.

“I’m pleased by today’s decision.  It’s the latest development in several cases that the previous Administration filed against unfair Chinese trade practices.  I hope the new Administration will be just as aggressive in defending U.S. interests.  We need to do everything we can to make sure our trading partners stand by their commitments.  Our exporters are depending on it, especially now, when every dollar counts.  The United States needs to continue to find new markets for U.S. exporters, and we need to continue to stand by our exporters when trading partners break the rules that enable the international trade community to function in a way that’s fair.”