The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative presented the 2010 National Trade Estimate (NTE) to Congress yesterday. The NTE describes significant barriers to U.S. trade and investment faced in the last year, and also outlines the steps taken to address those issues. Ambassador Ron Kirk reported the addition of two new reports that focus on sanitary and phytosanitary barriers as well as technical barriers to trade. These barriers harm the ability of America’s agricultural producers and manufacturers to export worldwide. Kirk issued the following statement to Congress yesterday:

This year, we’ve gone beyond the obligatory reporting to focus on some of the toughest hurdles America’s farmers, ranchers, manufacturers and service providers face when they try to sell overseas. USTR will take the information in these new reports, as well as in the National Trade Estimate itself, and use all the tools that we have to get these markets open to American products.

Check out the key elements of the National Trade Estimate, as well as the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's ideas to reduce sanitary and phytosanitary barriers and technical barriers to American exports.

The International Centre for Trade & Sustainable Development reports that 22 developing countries have tentatively agreed to reduce tariffs and other trade barriers as a means to boost trade between their countries.

The head of the World Trade Organization has spoken out against trade barriers as a negative influence on global economic recovery.