United States Export Policy Remarks Announcing Administration Proposals.

One of the problems that our Nation has faced for several years, but with growing concern recently, has been the very high negative trade balance. We have imported a great deal more than we have exported.

There are obviously several reasons for this. One is the extraordinary increase in the imports of oil which, as you know, have increased 800 percent in the last 6 years, so that we now import about half our total oil. This has created inflationary pressures. It has caused some doubt about our Nation's leadership, and we have been considering for a number of months what we might do about this problem.

I know the obvious cause for high trade imbalance is not exporting enough of the products that we ourselves can produce. Secretary Juanita Kreps, Secretary of Commerce, has been working with a task force recently in trying to resolve this particular aspect of our problem.

Obviously, exported goods create much needed jobs for Americans, and it corrects the defects that I've just described to you.

We've never been a nation that emphasized exports enough, because we've been so highly blessed with natural resources, approaching a degree almost of self-sufficiency.

We've never depended upon exports as have other nations who trade with us like Japan, Germany, and others. But there's a growing consciousness in our country now that we would like to accelerate, that export commitments should be a part of every producer in our country, both large, medium-sized, and small.

Many people don't know how to export. They don't know how to package goods for sales overseas, how to get their products to a transportation center, how to deliver and handle the paperwork, how to locate foreign buyers. These are the kinds of educational processes that we hope to explore, also.

Lately we've seen a slowing down in research and development commitment in our country as well, and we hope to expedite a recommitment to planning for the future, so that we can be technologically compatible and competitive with our foreign trading partners.

We also, of course, want to remove trade barriers that have been created by congressional action and by administrative action which prevent exports from going overseas, and we are negotiating with our foreign trade partners to eliminate trade barriers that prevent our own products from entering their countries. In doing this, we must be careful not to lower our standards for environmental quality or the safety or health of American workers, or our commitment to principles of human rights and others on which our Nation has been founded and exists.

Secretary of Commerce Juanita Kreps will now give you some specific proposals that have been evolved by her own department, by Members of Congress, by other members of the Cabinet, and by the business and labor leaders of our country. Secretary Kreps.