2008-07-24 23:36:28 -

- The Automotive Trade Policy Council and its member companies - Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation - encourage U.S. negotiators to continue working for a WTO Doha Agreement that will provide genuine market access for the U.S. auto industry. While these negotiations are at a difficult stage, we remain hopeful that an ambitious outcome can be

achieved that will serve to strengthen the global competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers.

From the beginning of the Doha Round, we set out as our goal the achievement of an Agreement that reduces high tariff barriers we face in many markets around the world and, more importantly, removes the growing number of highly discriminatory and unfair non-tariff barriers that many countries are using to restrict access to their automotive markets.

We have joined with all of the major auto manufacturing associations of the world in calling for a comprehensive agreement in the Doha Round to confront and eliminate these damaging non-tariff barriers in the automobile sector, such as discriminatory taxes and unique regulatory standards.

Achieving these critical objectives will be the U.S. auto companies' basis for assessing the success and relevance of any WTO Agreement reached in Geneva.

Automotive Trade Policy Council
Steve Collins, 202-789-0030
scollins@autotradecouncil.org