"The Director of the WTO, Michael Moore, confirmed last week that the U.S. does not have to grant permanent NTR status in order for China to enter the WTO... [and] Vice President Gore privately assured labor leaders that if Congress does not approve permanent NTR status for China this year, he will seek to incorporate labor and environmental protections in the U.S.-China trade deal before moving ahead with this agreement in a Gore administration." --- Letter to Congress from UAW Legislative Director Alan Reuther, February 29, 2000

The Facts

• The UAW doesn't understand the basics. Mr. Moore simply pointed out (correctly) that Congress doesn't vote on China's WTO entry... that happens no matter what Congress does. The only question before Congress is whether Americans will benefit from China's astonishing WTO market-access concessions, or instead leave these benefits on the table, to be snapped up by our foreign competitors. Because without Permanent Normal Trade Relations, the benefits of China's imminent WTO entry will go exclusively to America's foreign competitors, while American workers, farmers and companies are locked out of China.

• President Clinton clearly explained, "The United States must grant China permanent NTR or risk losing the full benefits of the agreement we negotiated... if Congress were to refuse to grant permanent NTR, our Asian and European competitors will reap these benefits [of China's impending WTO entry] but American farmers and businesses may well be left behind." (Letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, January 24, 2000).

• Rather than believing second-hand news reports about what union leaders wish was Vice President Gore's position, we'll let the Vice President's written, on-the-record words speak for themselves:

  "This agreement obtains meaningful benefits for American workers and companies by expanding and opening the Chinese market. Moreover, this agreement will advance our goal of opening up China to the world. I believe that Congress should enact legislation to secure these goals--in the form in which they have been negotiated--this year." --Letter to NAM president Jerry Jasinowski, copied to AFL-CIO president John Sweeney, February 18, 2000