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President Unveils Plan Stressing Link Between Exports, Jobs
"I don't believe that a wealthy country can grow much richer
in the world we're living in without expanding exports," President
Clinton said yesterday. "I don't believe you can create jobs ...
unless we can increase the volume of exports in this country." The
President spoke to a group of U.S. business leaders at the White
House, announcing the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee's
report designed to lower barriers to exports and streamline the
Government's efforts in export promotion. In his remarks, the
President said "it's very important to see this announcement today
in the context of our administration's support of the NAFTA
agreement. It would also open up our export opportunities, not just
to Mexico, but throughout all of Latin America."
Since 1988, exports have accounted for 58% of U.S. GDP
growth.
Today, the U.S. exports $600 billion in products, supporting
7 million American jobs.
The export initiative announced by the President is designed
to boost that to $1 trillion in exports, supporting some 13
million American jobs by the year 2000.
Such export-related jobs pay on average 17 percent more than
non-export-related jobs. (Source: Department of Commerce)
The President asserted "that anyone who has seriously looked
at the NAFTA dynamics, the specifics of the NAFTA agreement, will
actually alleviate all the complaints that people have who are
attacking it." He reminded his audience that "[t]his export
strategy we announced today assumes that we have people to sell to.
... We have to keep reaching out to tear down these barriers, to
integrate our economies in ways that benefit Americans."
Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, who chaired the Interagency
Committee which produced the report, stated: "A more effective
export strategy can easily result in over one trillion dollars in
exports and six million additional jobs by the year 2000." The
report contains 65 specific recommendations for revamping and
stream-lining U.S. export promotion activities. The initiative
would create "one-stop shopping" for small and medium size exporters
by consolidating the resources of Commerce, the Export-Import Bank
and the Small Business Administration in one place; coordinate the
resources of the Administration for export promotion activities; as
well as easing controls on certain high-tech exports.
NAFTA Fact
Because of current Mexican import restrictions (which NAFTA
eliminates) U.S. automakers today export more vehicles to Japan than
they do to Mexico.