May 07, 2002
Tuesday - 12:15 am

Gov. Tony Knowles has urged elimination of international trade barriers that affect exports of Alaska seafood and timber. The state's recommendations were submitted to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Robert Zoellick to include as the U.S. position for the continuing World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha negotiations.

"Alaska's abundant natural resources and strategic geographic location create a greater reliance on international trade than occurs in most states," Knowles said. "In 2001, Alaska exported $2.5 billion worth of products to the rest of the world. Many of Alaska's exporters are small businesses located in remote communities throughout our vast state. This is the time to work with the federal administration to reduce high seafood tariffs in our Pacific Rim markets, eliminate China's log fumigation requirements and reduce the problems exporters face."

Alaska's objectives focus on four areas:

• Reduce tariffs for U.S. fish products in the Republic of Korea, Japan, People's Republic of China, and other key Alaska markets;
• Preserve the opportunity to use eco-labeling, such as the Marine Stewardship Council's certification of the Alaska salmon industry as well as organic and country-of-origin labeling, while prohibiting inaccurate and misleading labeling;
• Remove China's fumigation requirements that have stopped Alaska log exports from entering China when Alaska is free of the pest of concern, which is a violation of the International Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures; and,
• Recommend the U.S. form a multilateral working group to study and act on the question of fisheries subsidies, especially where they support cheaper imports and cause production over-capacity and environmental degradation.

Alaska log exporters, members of the seafood industry, and Alaska Native regional and village corporations had urged the state to become active in the multilateral trade negotiations. The talks are a continuation of the process begun last November at a meeting of the WTO in Doha, Qatar.

"We are optimistic that by the U.S. incorporating Alaska's priorities and objectives in the Doha WTO negotiations, the volume and flow of Alaskan exports will increase while promoting economic development and alleviating poverty worldwide," Knowles said. "Because Alaska is a new state with far-flung and economically-challenged communities, we understand the importance of trade. We also empathize with the special needs of the majority of WTO members who are developing countries."

Lt. Gov. Fran Ulmer joined Knowles in highlighting the state's trade initiatives. "In resource-rich Alaska, job creation at home can often depend on international policies," Ulmer said. "Alaska must continue to make its case for equal, if not unique, treatment from our potential trading partners."

Alaska also offered in its comments to USTR a number of examples of Alaska's technical assistance and capacity building programs with Russia that could be used by the U.S. as examples and models for support to WTO members.

A unique aspect of this round of trade discussions is its emphasize on meeting the needs of developing nations through capacity building and technical assistance, activities in which Alaska has been involved bilaterally for many years.

Staff in the Governor's Washington, D.C. office will meet in the coming weeks with USTR experts in each area of Alaska's concerns. USTR will begin informal negotiations with WTO member nations on market access concerns later this year. The state is also sending a representative to Chengdu, China later this month to meet with USTR and Chinese agricultural officials to resolve the log fumigation impasse that has effectively stopped export of Alaska logs to the China market.

Alaska was one of the few states to submit recommendations to USTR, and this was the first time the state has participated in preparing for the multi-national trade talks. Last year, Alaska began active advocacy on behalf of Alaska seafood producers in the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement process.

Source of News Release:

Office of the Governor
Web Site

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