ENGAGING FOREIGN AUDIENCES ON "BUY AMERICAN" AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 STATE 015625 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EFIN ETRD PREL WTRO SUBJECT: ENGAGING FOREIGN AUDIENCES ON "BUY AMERICAN" AND PROTECTIONISM ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Efforts to confront the global economic crisis have prompted governments around the world to take protectionist trade measures. President Obama has spoken clearly about the need to avoid protectionism even as the United States confronts its own crisis. Secretary Clinton has said that rather than enter a contest to erect trade and other barriers, we "have to remain committed to open and fair trade." The President signed into law February 17 the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, known as the economic stimulus package. "Buy American" provisions in the stimulus package have sparked international press coverage and raised questions by foreign governments. Posts should remain engaged with foreign audiences on the need to avert protectionist trade measures. This cable provides talking points, and questions and answers that may be used with foreign interlocutors on the subject of protectionism and "buy American." (NOTE: Please do not distribute questions and answers. END NOTE). General background on the "buy American" provisions can be found in paragraph 4. END SUMMARY. -------------- Talking Point Guidance -------------- ¶2. (U) Please refer to the following talking points: - The President has emphasized the importance of avoiding protectionism in responding to the financial crisis. - The U.S. economic stimulus legislation will be implemented consistent with U.S. obligations under international agreements. - The United States allows parties to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) and U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs) to compete, with limited exceptions, on an equal basis with U.S. suppliers in U.S. government procurement. - Congress has said that it does not intend for the "buy American" provisions relating to iron, steel, and manufactured goods in the legislation to apply to least developed countries (LDCs). -------------- Anticipated Questions and Suggested Answers -------------- ¶3. (U) The following points may be drawn upon to respond to questions but are not/not for physical distribution. -- Q: Aren't the "buy American" provisions in the stimulus legislation a step back from the November G20 pledge against protectionism? -- A: The G20 leaders pledged last November to refrain from raising new barriers to trade in goods and services. No new barriers to trade are being raised, and our approach to forging reciprocity in procurement practices over the past STATE 00015625 002 OF 004 decades has not changed. The "buy American" provisions, as signed into law, specifically ensure that many of our trading partners, including Canada, Japan, and the EU, will continue to have access to procurement under the stimulus package in accordance with our agreements - either under the WTO or through our FTAs. -- A: We are always ready to sit down with other trading partners not covered by existing agreements (including China, Brazil, and India) to discuss access to our procurement markets when they are ready to enter into agreements with specific commitments that provide reciprocal opportunities for U.S. goods, services and suppliers. -- A: The stimulus legislation sends a clear reaffirming signal to our trading partners that access to our federal and state procurement markets is a matter of coming to the negotiating table, with a willingness to provide a rules-based framework and a balance of similar access to their procurement markets. Such an approach is not "protectionism" by any definition. -- Q: Will the United States allow China, Brazil and India to participate in procurement covered by the stimulus legislation? -- A: The Trade Agreements Act of 1979 generally prohibits U.S. Federal agencies from purchasing from any country that has not guaranteed U.S. firms access to their procurement by signing on to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) or a free trade agreement. -- A: The United States will continue to apply this long-standing law, including to federal procurement funded by the stimulus legislation. When China, Brazil, India or other countries become GPA members, they will have the same access to U.S. procurement as other GPA parties. Until then, the United States has no obligation to give these countries access to U.S. government procurement. -- Q: Hasn't China applied for accession to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement? -- A: Yes, when China became a WTO Member in 2002, it committed to join the GPA "as soon as possible." In 2007, China finally began GPA negotiations by tabling an initial offer. However, GPA parties found the offer seriously lacking. Little progress has been made in the negotiations; the parties are awaiting an improved offer from China. -- Q: Are there any indications that Brazil and India are prepared to sign on to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement? -- A: No, neither country has indicated any interest in joining the GPA. GPA membership is open to any WTO Member. Membership only requires that the country ensure transparency and fairness in conducting its procurement and treat foreign suppliers the same as domestic suppliers. -- Q: Are state or local governments required to open up their procurement to foreign countries? STATE 00015625 003 OF 004 -- A: States are only obligated to open up their procurement to foreign countries if the state has voluntarily agreed to such coverage, as part of U.S. negotiations under the GPA or an FTA. Currently 37 states are covered under the GPA. Where states have agreed to cover procurement under an agreement, they have often specified certain exceptions. The United States has taken no obligations under any trade agreement for local procurement, such as cities, towns and school districts. -- A: States have no obligations to open their procurement to China, Brazil, India or any other country that is not a party to the GPA or an FTA. Sub-federal entities in other countries also have no such obligations unless they have made a commitment under an agreement. -- Q: Does the "buy American" provision in the stimulus legislation apply to all manufactured products? -- A: No. The "buy American" provision only applies to "manufactured products used in a project for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of a public building or public work that is funded with money appropriated or otherwise made available by the Act." It does not apply to all manufactured products. -- Q: Are GPA parties and FTA partners the only countries that will have non-discriminatory access to U.S. government procurement under the economic stimulus package? -- A: Congress has indicated that the "buy American" provision for iron, steel and manufactured goods is not intended to apply to least developed countries (LDCs). This applies to the following LDCs: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, and Zambia. -- Q: Which WTO Members are covered by the GPA? -- A: The current signatories to the GPA are Canada, the European Communities (and its 27 Member States),Hong Kong China, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands (with respect to Aruba),Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United States. For Posts in China -------------- -- Q: Hasn't China stated that it will not include "buy China" policies in its stimulus package? -- A: Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Jiang Zengwei said February 9 that China won't implement "buy China" in its stimulus package. His statement is based on China's view that "public works" should not be considered government procurement. This is contrary to the approach taken by the STATE 00015625 004 OF 004 United States and all other GPA Parties. Moreover, China already has extensive "buy China" requirements that apply to virtually all of its procurement, so it does not need to adopt any new measures for procurement conducted under its stimulus package. China's Government Procurement Law requires the purchase of domestic goods, services and construction unless they are not available in China, cannot be purchased on reasonable commercial terms, or are for use abroad. -------------- Background -------------- ¶4. (U) On February 17, President Obama signed into law a $787 billion economic stimulus package. Included in the legislation is a "buy American" provision which requires that only U.S.-produced steel, iron and manufactured goods be used in those public works funded by the law, subject to certain exceptions (public interest, non-availability or unreasonable cost). The stimulus package also requires the Department of Homeland Security to procure U.S.-manufactured textile and apparel goods, but provides that these provisions be applied in a manner consistent with U.S. obligations under international agreements. Further, Congress has indicated that the "buy American" provision for iron, steel and manufactured goods is not intended to apply to least developed countries (LDCs) which have been designated by USTR. CLINTON