AT CONFIRMATION HEARING, JEANNE SHAHEEN DISCUSSES GOSS INTERNATIONAL WITH SECRETARY OF STATE-DESIGNATE HILLARY CLINTON

(Washington, D.C.) – Senator Jeanne Shaheen discussed the dispute between Seacoast-based Goss International and Japan with Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton at yesterday’s hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Shaheen expressed disappointment that the current State Department “has really done very little to address this issue.”

“I’m confident that as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton will help lead our nation in a new direction on foreign relations, and that she’ll engage on these difficult international economic challenges that are hurting New Hampshire businesses like Goss International,” said Senator Shaheen. “I was pleased to hear that she and President-elect Obama are committed to fair trade and to enforcing our trade laws in order to protect American businesses and American jobs.”

“We appreciate that Senator Shaheen addressed our dispute with Japan at yesterday’s Senate Foreign Relations hearing and that she’s urging greater engagement from the State Department and the incoming Obama Administration on trade disputes,” said Bob Brown of Goss International. “Senator Shaheen knows that businesses must be protected from unfair trade practices in the marketplace. When foreign companies deliberately defraud the US government and violate our trade laws they must be held accountable for their actions.”

The transcript of the exchange between Senator Shaheen and Secretary of State-designate Clinton is below.

UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT OF SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE HEARING

January 13, 2009

[Excerpts]

SHAHEEN:

Thank you. The second question is related somewhat, and it deals with trade. We have a company in New Hampshire -- and forgive me for being parochial -- called Goss International that makes large printing presses.

They had Japan come in and dump imports into the market. They went to court and sued under our trade laws and got a judgment in U.S. district court. And Japan retaliated by passing a recovery or a claw back that allowed the company that was doing the dumping to actually appropriate Goss' investments in Japan. And the State Department has really done very little to address this issue in a way that -- despite the court judgment on behalf of the American company.

So what role do you see the State Department playing as companies like Goss are dealing with this violation of U.S. trade laws?

CLINTON:

Well, I don't know anything about that specific case. We will look into that and educate ourselves about it. But more generally, I think this has to be part of our broader trade discussions.

The president-elect is in favor of free and fair trade. He wants to figure out how trade becomes more of a win-win for our manufacturers, our businesses, you know, our citizens. And that's going to be part of what we look at. What are the rules that we want to enforce in our country? And what do we expect through reciprocal relations with other countries?

So I'm well familiar with the general nature of the problem because I faced much of this in New York over the last eight years. But we're going to try to be more creative and substantive in addressing what we can do to create a more favorable, positive atmosphere so that, if there are violations, they can immediately be taken care of within the global trading framework and you don't face retaliation and you don't have to worry about unfair competition.