Bill Clinton 1996 On The Issues
Competing Abroad and
Promoting Prosperity at Home
"When we have the opportunity to sell American
products and services around the world, we know we can compete -- and that
means new jobs and a rising standard of living, the core of the American
Dream.”
—President Bill Clinton
The Clinton Administration's trade
policies are on the side of working Americans and U.S. businesses.
We have created a partnership with the private sector to grow our economy
by opening up more opportunities to sell American goods and services in
foreign markets and create high-wage jobs for American workers. We are
monitoring our trade agreements to ensure that our trading partners are living
up to their obligations.
As a result, America has had the highest growth of any major economy in the
world over the last three years. Our economy has created 10.5 million jobs --
93 percent of which are in the private sector. Over 60 percent of the 3.3
million new jobs created in 1994 alone were created by small companies. The
unemployment rate is down to 5.1 percent. The combined rate of unemployment,
inflation, and mortgage rates is at its lowest level since 1968.
President Clinton has stood up for American interests by implementing an
aggressive policy to open new markets for U.S. exports and to create high-wage
jobs in the United States. At the same time, he is monitoring and enforcing
our trade agreements, ensuring that our trading partners live up to their
obligations.
The President is leading the successful fight to expand America's economy
by:
Standing up for American workers against
unfair competition:
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President Clinton has reached 21 agreements with Japan to
open its markets to U.S. goods in such sectors as autos and auto
parts, telecommunications, supercomputers, construction, cellular
phones, and rice. U.S. exports to Japan are up 35 percent since 1992,
reaching a record $64 billion in 1995 and supporting over 800,000
American jobs. |
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U.S. manufacturing firms have increased their share of the
Japanese market by more than 20 percent in the past three
years. |
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For the first time in a decade, U.S. auto exports to Japan
increased significantly while imports
fell. |
Signing tough trade agreements that are
good for America:
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The President worked to open markets of our first and
third largest trade partners -- Canada and Mexico -- by leading a
bipartisan coalition in support of the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA). U.S. exports to Mexico in 1995 were 46 percent --
11 percent higher than in 1993, the year before NAFTA was
implemented. |
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President Clinton leveled the playing field for U.S.
products around the world by concluding the Uruguay Round of the GATT,
which put in place tough international rules of trade and established
a permanent enforcement unit to monitor and enforce trade
agreements. |
Creating over 1 million high-wage American
jobs through an unprecedented export boom:
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The Clinton Administration's National Export Strategy has
helped to create American jobs by promoting U.S. goods and services
abroad and reducing tariff and other trade barriers with our trading
partners. |
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Exports have grown 31 percent since President Clinton took
office. Agricultural exports surged to $56 billion in 1995, with
all-time highs in poultry, pork, wheat, and cotton. The United States
is now the world's largest exporter. |
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Eleven million -- roughly one out of every ten -- American
workers depend on exports for their jobs. |
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Export-related jobs pay an average of 13 percent more than
other jobs. |
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One in five manufacturing jobs is supported by U.S.
exports. The increase in U.S. exports has contributed to the creation
of 175,000 manufacturing jobs in the past three
years. |
Putting America first by restoring U.S.
competitiveness:
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President Clinton has put our financial house in order
with fiscal policies that will have cut the deficit by more than half
within four years. He has reduced the size of the federal government
to its lowest level in 30 years. |
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The United States is the world's number one producer of
automobiles for the first time since the 1970s -- overtaking
Japan. |
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The United States is once again the world's number one
producer of semiconductors -- surpassing
Japan. |
Building on Our Progress
President Clinton will continue to protect American workers and businesses
by:
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Aggressively pushing our foreign trading partners to open
wider their markets to U.S. goods and services. |
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Ensuring that our trading partners live up to their
obligations through strict enforcement of our trade agreements, using
sanctions when necessary. |
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Continuing to place special emphasis on the world's
fast-growing, emerging markets. |
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Helping small- and medium-sized businesses increase their
exports. |
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Continuing to give American workers and businesses the
tools they need to compete and win in the new global
economy. |
Source: Bill Clinton for President 1996 Web Site |
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