Published June 1989 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's-Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd A Step Forward in Opening More Markets to Our Exports In recent years as trade between nations grew, many countries joined the chorus calling for "freer trade." In practice, however, some of those countries have wanted freer trade for their goods to enter the United States, but have retained barriers that keep American goods out of their markets. Realizing that duplicity, last year I sponsored a "world market-opening initiative'' trade amendment to enable our government to pressure such countries into correcting inequities that block our goods from their markets, or face U.S. retaliation against their products in our markets. Last month, the White House, using the amendment that I cosponsored, officially targeted Japan, Brazil, and India as countries that have erected or retained unfair trading barriers against U.S. exports. Under the provisions of my amendment, our official U.S. Trade Representative now has 18 months to investigate these unfair practices and to negotiate their removal with the targeted countries; otherwise, our government will retaliate. I commend the Administration for taking this great first step forward in initiating action against foreign discrimination toward American exports. For too long, workers and companies in West Virginia and other states have faced obstacles in getting their products into overseas markets, while foreign goods have entered our domestic markets with increased freedom. In crafting this "market-opening initiative," I had, and continue to have, high hopes that this amendment will give our government a stronger weapon by which to inspire greater fairness in the international marketplace. The ultimate goal of my amendment is to open markets abroad, not to close them here at home. To have genuinely free world trade, the market pipeline must be equally and fairly open to traffic at both ends. June 14, 1989