US urged to reengage in Doha talks more proactively

China urged the United States at the World Trade Organization (WTO) trade policy review Tuesday to reprioritize the multilateral system and reengage in the Doha negotiations "in a more proactive approach." 

Yi Xiaozhun, Permanent Representative of China to the WTO, said that in the past two years since last review, regional and bilateral initiatives have prioritized over multilateral ones for the United States. 

He also raised concerns over a large US agriculture trade surplus achieved through enormous domestic support, the United States' problematic record in implementing the rulings of the Dispute Settlement Body, as well as its abuse of trade remedies and discriminative export control regime and practices. 

"We look forward to continuing our cooperation with the US to find solutions for all these issues," he said. 

Michael Punke, Deputy US Trade Representative and US Permanent Representative to the WTO, said a central pillar of US trade policy is the commitment to open markets and to the rules-based multilateral trading system embodied in the WTO. 

"Since the last US Trade Policy Review in 2010, the US has actively pursued a trade policy that supports jobs through trade expansion, enforcement of trade rules, and enhanced international trade relationships," he said. 

Punke said the United States has received more than 1,500 questions from 36 members concerning its trade policies and practices. 

Trade policy reviews are an exercise, mandated in WTO agreements, in which members' trade and related policies are examined and evaluated at regular intervals. Significant developments that may have an impact on the global trading system are also monitored. 

All WTO members are subject to review, with the frequency of review depending on the country's trade volume. The United States, China, the European Union and Japan are reviewed every two years.