Standing Up to China’s Flagrant Abuse of Intellectual Property

This Administration has to hold our trading partners’ feet to the fire and enforce the rules of trade. Goods and services produced by American workers, farmers and businesses that have high intellectual property content are critical to restoring broad-based economic growth and job creation, yet they are widely pirated, stolen and copied. No country in the world has done more to undermine American intellectual property than China. Accordingly, as a first step, we call on the Administration immediately to file a broad-based challenge in the World Trade Organization (WTO). The United States should use the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) to challenge China’s flagrant abuse of international rules governing intellectual property rights. If we’re going to convince American workers that trade can work for them, they need to know that Congress and the Administration will crack down on violations to give them the advantage they deserve.