SEIA response to China trade dispute reports

SEIA Says Multilateral Negotiations Important to Resolving China Trade Dispute

WASHINGTON, DC – Reacting to published reports that the United States and the European Union are trying to settle a lingering trade dispute with China over anti-dumping and anti-subsidy allegations, John Smirnow, vice president of trade and competitiveness for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) – issued the following statement:

“Meeting last week in China, SEIA and the Asia PV Industry Association – along with several other organizations – agreed to a joint policy position, the Shanghai Solar Declaration, which strongly encourages the United States, China, the European Union and other nations to engage in multilateral trade negotiations aimed at ending this costly and disruptive dispute. 

“After expressing our intentions to the White House, we are very encouraged that these long-needed negotiations appear ready to proceed.  Simply put, it’s time for everyone to work together toward a fair resolution of these cases.

“There is clear evidence that disputes within one segment of the industry affect the entire solar supply chain.  What’s more, they cause a ripple effect throughout the economies of the United States, Asia and Europe.  In addition to resolving current disagreements, we hope this process will also lead to the creation of a pro-competitive, collaborative framework for preventing future trade conflicts and ensuring the adoption of balanced and equitable agreements in the future.

“And, finally, in attempting to settle this dispute, we strongly encourage the Administration to carefully evaluate what impact any actions may have on American consumers and U.S. workers.”

To date, other signatories to the Shanghai Solar Declaration include: the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE); Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI); and the Solar Energy Association of Sweden. More Resources:
-  Shanghai Solar Declaration
-  SEIA: International Trade updates
- "SEIA Statement on U.S. Department of Commerce Final AD/CVD Determinations," October 10, 2012.

About SEIA®:
Established in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA and its 1,000 member companies are building a strong solar industry to power America. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works to make solar a mainstream and significant energy source by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. www.seia.org

CEI Today: Trade war - China, Virginia's bad transportation plan, and regulation strangling the economy

TRADE WAR - IAIN MURRAY & GEOFFREY McLATCHEY

Forbes: Obama Administration Errors Set The Stage For The First Green Trade War

Trade wars benefit nobody, but we may need to brace for one soon. This month, China is set to decide on whether to place a tariff on U.S. chemical imports—specifically polysilicon—used in the solar cell manufacturing process. Chinese polysilicon producers accuse the U.S. of dumping said chemicals onto the Chinese market. If the Chinese do impose a tariff, American polysilicon producers will lose access to a significant market while the cost of solar panels will rise significantly everywhere—making everyone a loser. Yet this bad outcome is likely because the Obama administration has already fired shots in what could become the world’s first “green” trade war. > Read the full commentary on Forbes.com

> Interview the authors

> Follow Iain Murray on Twitter

VIRGINIA TRANSPORTATION PLAN - MARC SCRIBNER Richmond Times Dispatch: McDonnell’s transportation plan veers off-course Gov. Bob McDonnell’s transportation plan has earned critics on both the left and right. On the left, many are upset the governor’s plan would transfer general revenue funds to transportation — funds that otherwise would go for government services liberals support. On the right, Grover Norquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform, has blasted McDonnell’s support for a sales tax increase and a new Internet sales tax. But neither of these critiques addresses the McDonnell plan’s core problem — one which the plan ignores. A better-balanced approach to transportation funding would center on preserving and strengthening the user-pays approach with modern technology and practices. All-electronic tolling should be greatly expanded, as it doesn’t face its technological ancestors’ collection cost disadvantage relative to fuel taxes. > Read the full commentary on Timesdispatch.com > Interview Marc Scribner

OVERREGULATION & THE ECONOMY - JOHN BERLAU Daily Caller: Overregulation, not phantom spending cuts, caused economy to shrink in fourth quarter Last Tuesday, The Conference Board — a private group that measures consumer confidence —announced that consumer confidence had plummeted in January. One day later, the Department of Commerce reported that the U.S. economy had actually contracted by 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012. Then on Friday, the Labor Department announced that the unemployment rate had ticked back up to 7.9 percent. The establishment media and liberal politicians, including President Barack Obama, either downplayed the news or blamed phantom “spending cuts.” Hardly anyone brought up the dramatic increase in regulation over the last few years and the fear that President Obama’s re-election opens the door to a massive onslaught of red tape.  > Read the full commenary on Dailycaller.com > Interview John Berlau

More in the news... Hill Briefing Shreds Renewable Fuel Standard Sen. Vitter Hits the Ground Running Misleading Food Stamp Campaign By Progressive Officials Bureaucrat Busybodies Make Nobody Busy

CEI is a non-profit, non-partisan public policy group dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government.  For more information about CEI, please visit our website, cei.org, and blogs, Globalwarming.org and OpenMarket.org.  Follow CEI on Twitter! Twitter.com/ceidotorg.

Lignet - China’s Coming Economic Implosion

China’s economy is at serious risk – and the entire world will feel the blow both economically and even militarily.

And your life savings and investments are no exception because China’s economy is so closely linked to America’s and other Western nations.

You are probably aware of Robert Wiedemer, the New York Times best-selling author of  Aftershock.

Wiedemer was one of the first economists to warn of the 2008 crash.

And now he is warning that China’s economy is at grave risk.

He points out that after several years of massive government stimulus as well as heavy support for the real estate sector, China’s bubble is about ready to burst.

“Housing prices in 100 major cities in China fell for the sixth consecutive month...  even the China Iron and Steel Association says that growth has slowed from 15% in 2010 to 4% in 2012.”

Adding to China’s economic woes is their fragile stock market.

It has already fallen to 2009 lows, a significant psychological benchmark, and Bloomberg News points out that if this resistance level breaks, stocks could drop another 10 percent.

Shockingly, many insiders warn that China, facing severe domestic problems, may turn toward their military muscle to gain an economic edge.

A realistic fear Japan is already familiar with.

In search of cheap energy, China has become aggressive with Japan regarding a longstanding dispute over some uninhabited islands that sit atop potentially enormous oil and natural gas resources.

Forbes columnist Ben Marks points out, “In the event that the Chinese economy continues to weaken, do not be surprised if China deepens its nationalistic tone, which could lead to even more military hostility with its neighbors over disputed territories in Asia.”

James Rickards, a top security adviser to the Pentagon and CIA, recently released evidence that China is secretly stockpiling gold.

“In 2009, without anybody having an early warning, even the intelligence community, China unveiled gold reserves of 1,054 tons [not 600 tons as reported]... They are treating the acquisition of gold like it’s a military mission... they are expanding and conquering... and their military monitors this entire process. It’s critical they keep this secret.”

What will happen with China next and what are the implications for the U.S. and global economies?

To answer that question with a special focus on the implications of a possible Chinese economic collapse, Newsmax's global intelligence and forecasting service, LIGNET, will be holding an urgent online briefing on China, her economy and the possibility of escalating tensions between the U.S. and China.

This special online event will be held Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, at 11 a.m. EST.

Leading the intelligence panel will be former CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden and Gov. Jon Huntsman, who recently served as U.S. ambassador to China.

Please Note: This private forum is available to LIGNET members only.

Join LIGNET today for ONLY $1.00 by Clicking Here

LIGNET is a globally recognized intelligence resource prepared by former CIA analysts, national security officers, and presidential advisers.

What transpires between the U.S. and China could have dire consequences for America and inescapable economic ramifications.

During this exclusive program, LIGNET's esteemed intelligence panel will address the following:

• The implications surrounding China's volatile leadership change
• The likelihood China will surpass the U.S. as the global economic superpower
• Is China a true currency manipulator?
• The truth about China's economy and the potential for a real estate bust
• The impact of China's military expansion and cyber-warfare capabilities
• The possibility China will use military force to seize control of contested islands in the Asia-Pacific region
• China's growing influence in Latin America and Africa
• The immense investment opportunities in China
• And much, much more!

We strongly encourage you to join this urgent LIGNET briefing Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, at 11 a.m. EST to discover how this dangerous conflict affects you and your wealth.

Important: We recommend forwarding this email to your friends so they can sign up to participate in this event as well.

Get a LIGNET Membership and See China Briefing for $1 — Go Here Now

Lignet - China Launches Aircraft Carrier

China has entered a critical phase in its rapid military expansion — and it is flexing its muscle for the world to see.

China just announced that it has succeeded in landing a J-15 fighter on an aircraft carrier, a milestone most experts didn’t expect the Chinese military to achieve for several years.

China's New Aircraft Carrier At Sea

China's J-15 Jet Fighter Approaches Carrier

Gordon G. Chang, an expert on Asian geopolitics, tells LIGNET, the global intelligence and forecasting service, that China is becoming desperate as a result of its deteriorating economy and the desire to claim more land.

Chang also believes the “military is starting to break free of civilian control.” He calls this “a very, very troublesome event.”

Is this just the beginning of China’s aggressive attempt to position itself as a global military superpower?

As the Obama administration prepares to announce the replacement for Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, this looms as a critically important question.

On Tuesday, Dec. 4, LIGNET will hold an emergency briefing on the escalating tensions between the United States and China.

Leading the intelligence panel will be former CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who recently served as U.S. ambassador to China.

We strongly encourage you to join this urgent LIGNET briefing Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, at 11 a.m. EST to discover how this new China could have dire consequences for America and inescapable economic ramifications.

If you would like to register to watch this important briefing, you can sign up by clicking here.

For More Information on LIGNET’s Briefing on China — Go Here Now

LessGovernment - Media Debate Fail: Obama, the Auto Bailout and China

http://bit.ly/TQeb4w

By Seton Motley

In their third Presidential debate analysis, the Jurassic Press Media last night and thus far this morning have failed utterly in their role as fact checker and record-corrector - at least when it comes to what President Barack Obama had to say. 

As but one glaring example, there were the President’s absurd assertions regarding the auto bailout and China.

Here in large part is what the President last night had to say on the subject:

“If we had taken your advice Governor Romney about our auto industry, we'd be buying cars from China instead of selling cars to China.

“If we take your advice with respect to how we change our tax codes so that companies that earn profits overseas don't pay U.S. taxes compared to companies here that are paying taxes. Now that's estimated to create 800,000 jobs, the problem is they won't be here, they'll be in places like China.”

This is not the first time the President has made these claims.  It is not the first time the Press has taken him - utterly unexamined - at his word. 

We won’t.  Let’s go piece by Presidential piece, and see what we find.

“If we had taken your advice Governor Romney about our auto industry, we'd be buying cars from China instead of selling cars to China.

There is so much wrong-ness packed into this one sentence. 

Governor Romney’s auto industry advice was to have General Motors (GM) and Chrysler file for bankruptcy.  Like President Obama has done with swaths of predecessor President George W. Bush’s foreign policy, he criticizes it - while emulating it. 

Guantanamo Bay is still open - just as President Bush advised.  And President Obama took GM and Chrysler through bankruptcy - just as Governor Romney advised.

Only Romney wanted to do it without $85 billion of our money dumped down the United Auto Worker union rat hole.  GM and Chrysler could - and should - have gone bankrupt for free.

As for who’s buying cars from whom, let’s go to the videotape.  Obama-appointee GM CEO Dan Akerson gave a speech in Shanghai, China where he proudly proclaimed:

“Seven out of ten of our vehicles were made outside the United States.”

Many, many of those cars are made in China - which is why Akerson was saying it there.  In fact, nearly two-thirds of GM jobs are in other countries - again, many, many of them in China.  From GM’s 2011 annual report:

“We will continue to grow our business under the Baojin, Jiefang, and Wuling brands. We operate in Chinese markets through a number of joint ventures and maintaining good relations with our joint venture partners, which are affiliated with the Chinese government, is an important part of our Chinese growth strategy.”

And those Chinese Communist government “joint venture partners?”  One of those joint ventures was GM being the chief sponsor of the celebratory flick “Chinese Communism at 90 - Hooray.”  (That is a rough title translation - my Mandarin is weak.) 

Good thing President Obama separated us from our $85 billion - allegedly to “create or save” jobs.  Mostly foreign jobs, but.... And as we’ve seen with Ford, no government bailout money was necessary to preserve a gi-normous member of the American auto industry.

More of the President from last night:

“If we take your advice with respect to how we change our tax codes so that companies that earn profits overseas don't pay U.S. taxes compared to companies here that are paying taxes. Now that's estimated to create 800,000 jobs, the problem is they won't be here, they'll be in places like China.”

Small problem there.

President Obama illegally allowed GM to carry forward through the bankruptcy $45.4 billion in losses - which serve as post-bankruptcy write-offs, costing We the Taxpayers $18 billion in lost tax revenue.  GM paid absolutely no income tax in 2011. 

So GM earning profits - domestically or overseas - isn’t paying any U.S. taxes.  That was President Obama’s illegal, illegally imposed advice - not Governor Romney’s.

At no point last night did debate moderator Bob Schieffer insert himself to correct President Obama on any of this - as last debate moderator Candy Crowley was only too happy to incorrectly do in defense of the President. 

At no point since has anyone in the Press done anything to correct President Obama and the auto bailout record. 

Shocking, I know.