Politicians push Obama to combat "predatory" Chinese trade strategy

UNITED STATES: More than 180 Washington lawmakers are urging the Obama administration to combat what they say is China's "unfair" and "predatory" trade practices in wind and other green technologies.

by Ros Davidson 29 September 2010

New York senator Chuck Schumer is an outspoken critic of China's trade strategy
In a letter to President Barack Obama, the politicians expressed support for a recent petition by the United Steelworkers (USW) asking the US Trade Representative (USTR) to complain about China's behaviour to the World Trade Organisation.

"China's industrial policy seeks to give its manufacturers an unfair advantage in the green technology revolution and to capture this emerging sector," wrote the lawmakers. They asked Obama to establish a special, skilled team to continue monitoring the issue.

Democratic senator Chuck Schumer, known for his support of the US wind industry in the face of foreign competition, had already jumped into the fray: "There is no question that China is ignoring trade rules so that it can cheat its way to first place in the clean-energy manufacturing race."

The USW petition accuses China having of hundreds of billions of dollars in unfair subsidies. The USTR must decide whether to take action on or before 24 October.