"President Bush's accomplishments of opening markets at every opportunity have advanced the pro-growth benefits of free and fair trade" suggested US Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab.

She continued:

"Through negotiations for reciprocal access bilaterally, regionally, and multilaterally - and tough enforcement to ensure that our trading partners must keep their promises of open markets - the past seven years have reaped record exports, job creation, growth, and productivity."

Bilaterally, in 2008, the Administration announced that it will build on the passage of the Peru Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by working with Congress to advance other pending FTAs with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.

These pending agreements offer substantial opportunities for US farmers, ranchers, workers, manufacturers, and producers. Passing and implementing an FTA with Colombia will solidify relations with a key strategic ally in Latin America, the USTR added.

The Korea-US (KORUS) FTA is the most commercially significant FTA the United States has concluded in 15 years and when implemented will offer immense opportunities to US business and agriculture in a rapidly growing and sophisticated market.

Multilaterally, the United States will continue its efforts towards concluding an ambitious Doha Development Round. Concluding an ambitious Doha Round is President Bush’s top trade negotiating priority, according to Schwab, and will generate economic growth through new trade flows in agriculture, industrial goods and services - helping to lift millions of people in developing counties out of poverty.

In addition, the Administration stated that it will continue to aggressively combat intellectual property rights (IPR) violations in order to protect both industry and consumers.

In 2007, the Administration continued to lead the fight against IPR violations through launching negotiation of an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement with other trading partners. Additionally, it filed cases in the World Trade Organization (WTO) over China’s deficiencies in protecting and enforcing copyrights and trademarks.