A group of trade associations, including the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC), sent a letter to President Obama last week urging the Administration to pursue a swift conclusion of a comprehensive Environmental Goods and Services Agreement.
The associations are frustrated with the slow pace of world trade talks, which have dragged on for more than eight years. They asked Obama to consider removing negotiations on environmental goods and services from the Doha talks and pursue them separately.
The associations wrote, “Lowering trade barriers on green goods and services would be good for the environment and the U.S. economy.” Liberalizing green trade, they continued, “would help create the green jobs that will accelerate recovery of the U.S. economy.”
While the Doha Round of WTO negotiations is one potential forum to pursue an international agreement on green goods and services, the associations noted, “the combined economic and environmental benefits of an agreement warrant the exploration of alternative or complementary efforts.”
The trade associations suggested the Administration consider the Forum on Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as forums to help secure interim commitments in advance of a WTO agreement.
The groups also encouraged the president to promote the utility of lowering trade barriers on green goods and services in international environmental forums, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Major Economies Forum. The letter also underscores the importance of protecting intellectual property rights in green technologies with respect to stimulating American innovation and creating green jobs.
Finally, the letter expresses concern over the lack of discussion of global trade in environmentally-friendly goods and services in the House-passed American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.
“Emphasizing the importance of an environmental goods and services agreement in domestic legislation would enhance legislative efforts to deliver clean technologies to the developing world. We hope that you and your Administration will work with Congress to generate clear signals of support for lower trade barriers, which can help to reinforce a positive message on lowering green tariffs to the international community,” the associations concluded.
In addition to the NFTC, the letter was signed by groups including the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, the Coalition of Service Industries, the Emergency Committee for American Trade, the Information Technology Industry Council, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Organization for International Investment, the Retail Industry Leaders Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
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