US plans robust trade agenda to help growth -- USTR Kirk

The United States plans to pursue a "robust" trade agenda, including negotiation of new deals and enforcement of old ones, to create jobs and stimulate economic growth, the top U.S. trade official said on Wednesday.

"We're not going to leave any jobs on the table," U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said in a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

In a wide-ranging speech, Kirk said the United States and eight other countries in the Asia Pacific were determined to reach agreement on a regional trade pact by the end of 2012.

He also discussed plans to deepen economic ties with the 27-nation European Union through possible trade talks. "Everything is on the table," Kirk said.

His remarks came one day before the European Union is due to tell the United States how it plans to comply with a ruling against European "launch aid" loans for Airbus.

Kirk said the Obama administration was determined that case would not just be a "paper victory" for the United States, and added he wanted to negotiate a "mutually agreeable" solution to get rid of all WTO-inconsistent measures in the aerospace sector.

The European Union has also successfully challenged some U.S. government support for Boeing at the WTO. That case is still in the appeals stage so Washington is not yet in a position where it is obligated to put forward a plan to comply.

Source: Reuters