WASHINGTON – Today, ITI, the global voice of the tech sector, released the following statement from its President and CEO Dean Garfield reacting to the agreement coming out of the meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi at the G-20 summit in Argentina:
“Today’s agreement by President Trump and Chinese President Xi is a critical step toward de-escalating this mutually damaging trade war between the world’s two largest economies. We’re encouraged by this progress and urge both leaders to stay focused on the benefits of an open and rules-based trade relationship. For the United States, those benefits include increased business opportunities for startups and other small businesses, greater exports for American companies, and more jobs for American workers. For China, it would enhance trade and investment opportunities in markets around the world and serve as an important signal that China accepts established norms and rules for international commerce.
“We hope Presidents Trump and Xi seize this opportunity to broaden the scope of these benefits, and make a deal that rolls back U.S. tariffs and leads to genuine structural and systemic change in China. This includes China taking concrete, measurable actions to end requirements that companies transfer technology, permit the movement of data into and out of China, and increase market access for non-Chinese companies. The tech industry will continue to monitor these critical negotiations closely.”
ITI has called on President Trump to roll back the tariffs and negotiate a deal since he announced action earlier this year:
- Dean Garfield: President Trump campaigned as a dealmaker: He can show it with Xi at the G-20 (The Hill, November 30, 2018)
- Tech Industry: Tariffs are Reckless and will Harm Americans (September 17, 2018)
- Tech: Additional Tariffs Only Mean More Bad News for Consumers and Businesses (July 10, 2018)
- Tech Industry: Imposing Tariffs will Harm Consumers and Businesses (July 5, 2018)
- ITI: Tariffs Wrong Answer to Right Question (June 15, 2018)
- Tech Industry: Tariffs Don’t Work (May 29, 2018)
- Coalition Letter to Rep. McCarthy: Business and Farm Community Urges Congress to ‘Quickly Mitigate’ Trade Situation with China (April 12, 2018)
- ITI Letter to Secretary Mnuchin: Build an International Coalition to Press China to Play by the Rules; Don’t Impose Tariffs (April 9, 2018)
- Tariffs Bad for Consumers, Business, and Economy (April 3, 2018)
- Tech Industry: Tariffs Wrong Solution to Real Problems (March 22, 2018)
- Letter to President Trump: Business Community Opposes Potential Tariffs (March 18, 2018)