Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Thursday that he would travel to China next week as well to urge his Chinese counterparts to step up their efforts to halt piracy and counterfeiting through use of increased criminal enforcement.
Gonzales also unveiled a Bush administration proposal to stiffen penalties for copyright theft and broaden intellectual property protections. "The technology is just changing so quickly. It's so much easier to steal, to pirate," Gonzales said, explaining the need for the legislation.
On Tuesday, the administration announced it had reached a three-year agreement with China to limit imports of clothing and textiles, something the U.S. industry said was desperately needed to halt a surge that began in early January and has already cost thousands of American textile jobs.
The trade report showed that imports of clothing and textiles from China are up 50.4 percent through the first nine months of this year compared with the same period in 2004.
U.S. purchases of foreign oil rose by 4.4 percent in September, with the average price for a barrel of imported crude oil hitting an all-time high of $57.32, up from a $52.65 per barrel average in August.
After Katrina struck, crude oil prices briefly topped $70 per barrel, sending gasoline pump prices over $3 per gallon for a time. However, as Gulf Coast production has come back on line, those prices have moderated although they are still well above levels of a year ago.
Analysts said the drop in energy prices should help lower the trade deficit in coming months. The September deficit surpassed the old record of $60.4 billion set last March.
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On the Net:
Trade deficit report: http://www.census.gov/ft900
