Robert Berry: “I want to speak this evening in support of Permanent Normal Trading Relations with China. I want to commend the Speaker…”

“I want to speak this evening in support of Permanent Normal Trading Relations with China. I want to commend the Speaker of the House for setting a date when we will have the vote before Memorial Day. I want to commend the President for the extraordinary effort that he is putting into this. I want to commend Ambassador Barshefsky; Secretary of Agriculture, Dan Glickman; and Secretary of Commerce, Bill Daley for their strong effort to help us pass Permanent Normal Trading Relations with China. We must approve permanent normal trading relations with China in May, or our economy will suffer for years to come. It will be a terrible mistake for this country not to approve this agreement. There are 1.3 billion people in China, 20 percent of the world's population, one of the fastest growing economies in the world. This is a good deal for America. It cuts overall tariffs from 24 to 9 percent by 2005, cuts overall agriculture tariffs from 31 to 17 percent, it gives us five times more market access for cotton, 20 times more market access for rice, an unbelievable potential for poultry, beef, pork, soybeans, wheat and nearly every other ag product, and a huge potential for technology, banking, telecommunications, insurance. We give up nothing in this agreement, Mr. Speaker. This agreement grants us access to their market. It does not give them any additional access to our markets. China has had access to our markets for the last 20 years.”