Proclamation 5323—World Trade Week, 1985

Each year, through World Trade Week, we celebrate the many ways in which international trade strengthens our country and enriches our lives.

Increased trade strengthens our own economy, as well as helping to sustain and spread world economic growth. American exports help create new growth opportunities for our businesses and new opportunities for employment for our workers. To the American consumer, freer and fairer trade has meant better products in greater variety and at lower prices.

Through contact with other societies, we receive new ideas and gain a better understanding of our traditional values. We reinforce our ties of amity and peace with other countries through strong bonds of commercial interest and mutual respect.

We Americans are used to a role of responsible leadership in world affairs. It is a role we value, and it has won us the respect of other nations. We know that more jobs, greater prosperity, and dynamic economies are based on freer and fairer trade. Other countries take courage from our confidence and competitive spirit.

Despite stronger competition for world markets, record trade deficits, and a growing threat of protectionism abroad, the United States has resisted the temptation to adopt self-defeating protectionist measures of its own. We have called upon other countries to open their markets to fair competition. We are working with our trading partners to launch a new round of multilateral trade negotiations by early next year aimed at opening markets worldwide.

Americans can be proud that economic growth in the United States has helped fuel the recovery of our trading partners who can now effort to buy more of our goods and services. Americans can be proud of the U.S. commitment to policies promoting unrestricted trade and investment consistent with our security interests.

Now, Therefore, I Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week beginning May 19, 1985, as World Trade Week, and I request all Federal, State, and local officials to cooperate in its observance.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and ninth.

RONALD REAGAN