US Measures To Strengthen Trade Enforcement

United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk on Thursday announced new measures to strengthen the enforcement of the country’s trade rights seen as a key part of US economic recovery and growth strategy. “Our new approach to enforcement is simple,” Kirk said in a statement, available here. “We will deploy our resources more effectively to identify and solve problems at the source. But make no mistake: we will pursue legal remedies when other options are closed.” The comments, which included strong wording on intellectual property rights, came in the backdrop of a report released the same day by the US Chamber of Commerce Global Intellectual Property Center which found that IP industry of America – the “world’s idea factory” – accounts for more than one-third – $5 trillion – of the country’s stock values, and comprises more than half of all US exports while employing nearly 18 million workers. On 20 July, US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will join the International Intellectual Property Alliance in releasing a study by Economists, Inc. on the strength of the US copyright-based industries from 2003-2007 (report will be posted when available).

Link to the Chamber report here [pdf].