Political Quotes

“the Senate is completing a historic vote on the U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000, H.R. 4444, which grants permanent normal trade relations, PNTR, status to the People's Republic of China. Realizing that many Pennsylvanians have expressed very strong feelings on both sides of this issue, I would like to take a moment to discuss my reasons for supporting this measure. First, it is important to understand what normal trade relations, NTR, is. Since 1980, the United States has granted China NTR status every year, subject to an annual review. "Normal trade relations", NTR, is the tariff treatment the U.S. grants to its trading partners. All but a select few countries receive this trade status. NTR simply means that products from a foreign country receive the same relatively lower tariff rates as our other trading partners enjoy. The lower tariff rates result from years of negotiations and various trade agreements in which the U.S. reduces its duties on imports, in exchange for reduced rates on its own products. NTR lowers tariff rates, but does not eliminate them altogether. In this way, NTR substantially differs from a free trade agreement.”