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AFTE Letter to USTR on U.S.-India Trade (2024)

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Alliance for Trade Enforcement

Defending American innovation by holding trading partners accountable.

"For the people I represent, the enforcement of our trade deals means jobs -- both creating jobs and protecting jobs."
- Representative Dan Kildee (D-MI), March 2022
"One of the best ways to level the playing field for workers and underserved communities is to focus on our enforcement tools."
- Representative Terri Sewell (D-AL), March 2022
"American workers, farmers, and businesses need the Biden administration to fully enforce all aspects of our trade agreements, including energy, agriculture, and intellectual property."
- Representative Adrian Smith (R-NE), March 2022
"Endless dialogues and frameworks are no substitute for trade agreements that open markets for American products. We all know that it's not just about negotiation, but enforcement as well. And we must hold our trading partners accountable."
- Representative Adrian Smith (R-NE), March 2022
"Trade agreements only succeed if they are enforced. I look forward to continuing to work with you [Ambassador Katherine Tai] to ensure aggressive enforcement of the USMCA that supports our workers at home and abroad."
- House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA), March 2022
"The Biden administration also knows that enforcement is key to trade policy delivering on its promises."
- U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai, March 2022
"I also have concerns about enforcement. Americans need to compete on a level playing field."
- Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), March 2022
"Our government has laws on the books that can crack down on countries using slave labor and keep those products out of our market, but it will require an unwavering commitment to tough trade enforcement...It’s an opportunity to stand up for what’s right around the world and protect American jobs and wages at the same time."
- Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), March 2021
"Ms. Tai is committed to President Biden's build back better agenda. A key part of that agenda is ensuring that our workers are competing on a level playing field with the rest of the world."
- Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), March 2021
"As U.S. Trade Representative, Ms. Tai will play a crucial role in enforcing existing trade deals and making sure that American workers, businesses, and researchers can compete on a level playing field."
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), March 2021
“Most importantly, there is one issue that all of us in this room agree upon: enforcement, enforcement, enforcement of these trade agreements."
- House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA), February 2021
"America's innovative industries are second to none. From creative content, to digital commerce, to pharmaceutical research, America's innovators are what are getting us through the pandemic and what will get us out of it."
– Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), February 2021
"One of the most important things, including in the competition with China, is that innovation and R&D have to be a central part of our response…it's critical for manufacturers in my state that USTR advance and defend strong intellectual property rules in our trade agreements and in global fora like the World Trade Organization."
– Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), February 2021
"While I mentioned to you, I'm all for enforcement, I'm all for capacity building…we cannot just be about those aspects. We have to be for opening up new markets."
– Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), February 2021
"The United States does not just lose potential opportunities when its leaders fail to engage appropriately on trade. Our businesses and workers lose ground here at home, in every state. This is why the United States needs an effective USTR to tear down trade barriers and confront abusive trade practices."
– Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), February 2021
"Last year, the United States took the first ever U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement enforcement action on Canada's dairy tariff rate quotas. The announcement showed that our government is going to be working real-hard that our dairy farmers and processes realize additional markets access."
– Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), February 2021
"History demonstrates repeatedly that Americans do very well in foreign markets, if only given the chance -- the chance to participate in an environment of fair trade."
– Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), February 2021
"Trade done right is about strong enforcement that protects American workers and business and creates new opportunities to raise wages and increase exports. It raises the bar for labor and environmental standards and digital rules around the world so the global economy competes on our terms."
– Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), February 2021
“We need markets, but we also need a level playing field, and your work on trade enforcement and creating that level playing field is very important.”
– Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), February 2021
"… trade agreements are worthwhile only if they are both enforceable and enforced."
– Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), February 2021
"Free trade does not just strengthen the powerful, it empowers all Americans, including those running and working in smaller businesses."
– Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), February 2021
"The United States needs a full blockade against other countries' discriminatory policies aimed at knifing our industries with taxes where America leads, such as digital goods and services."
– Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), February 2021
“Expanding [agriculture] market access is critical and so equally important is the proper enforcement of the trade agreements that we already have.”
– Sen. John Thune (R-SD), February 2021
""I've been in Congress 14 years and enforcement has never been an adequate priority in my view, ever."
– Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), February 2021
"America's trade policy needs to be smarter and stronger."
– Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), February 2021
“One of the [USMCA] improvements that I’m most excited about are the new environmental monitoring enforcement tools and resources, some of which my office worked with you to develop, including the new NAFTA implementing legislation.”
– Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), February 2021
"In those [trade]…treaties, with Mexico, for example, Central America, we have certain labor standards and environmental standards we expect them to adhere to and [that] we enforce. China does not enforce those. And with that lack of enforcement, it turns out to be an expense, an avoided expense, to further subsidize somebody moving from Mexico or Guatemala, moving their factory to China.”
– Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), February 2021
“Our enforcement mechanisms built into our trade agreements give [Ambassador-designate Tai] the tools she needs to hold our trading partners to account. I know she will insist the countries abide by their obligations. Whether it’s making sure China complies with its obligations in the Phase One agreement, addressing blatant revenue grabs of various trading partners through the use of digital services taxes, or challenging Mexican and Canadian practices that violate USMCA, I am confident she will not only be watching but acting.”
– Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), February 2021
“I so appreciate all your incredible work and leadership in this area [USMCA] in terms of enforcement. I’m glad to see that as of last December, Canada is now working to uphold its dairy market access commitment. So that first enforcement action was brought, which I thought was positive.”
– Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), February 2021
"As President, I will develop a comprehensive strategy to aggressively enforce our [trade] laws in an effective way whenever it is needed. Critically, I will also look at what new approaches and tools are needed to combat unfair trade practices jeopardizing production and jobs here and to gain access for our products in other markets. We must address the continuous efforts to evade and circumvent our trade laws and undermine the effectiveness of our trade cases."
- President Joe Biden
"If there’s one thing that’s bipartisan, it’s enforcement."
- Former U.S. Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, June 2020
“I think intellectual property really is the heart of manufacturing for the next generation. And if you don't develop it and if you don't protect it, then you're going to fall behind very, very quickly… fortunately, the United States does have good protection of intellectual property."
- Former U.S. Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, June 2020
"We work in all of our trade agreements to have state-of-the-art obligations that are enforceable to protect intellectual property. We have those laws in the United States and we try to protect them.”
- Former U.S. Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, June 2020
"Congress will continue to insist that [trade] rules remain enforceable and applied as written.”
- Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), June 2020
"The administration has to hit the ground running on trade law enforcement on day one. There are few other areas where American businesses, producers, and workers need more information and more certainty as [USMCA] heads into effect.”
- Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), June 2020
"We're going to enforce every single agreement. We're going to create new mechanisms where necessary to make sure that we have actual enforcement across the board in everything we do…"
- Former U.S. Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, June 2020

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