U.S. to press China on tariffs on clean energy trade

By Doug Palmer

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The United States will press China this week to lower its tariffs on clean energy technology as one of many steps the two countries can take to fight global warming, U.S. officials said on Monday.

"Both China and the U.S. have much to lose from potentially devastating impacts of climate change, but much to gain by partnering to develop clean energy technologies that will power our economy by cutting carbon emissions," David Sandalow, assistant secretary of energy for policy and international affairs policy, told reporters in telephone conference call.

He spoke shortly before U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke were headed to China to explore ways the world's two biggest greenhouse gas emitters could work together to address climate change.

Locke, who was departing from San Francisco, wants to begin talks "on how to accelerate and enhance the role of the private sector in driving cooperation, investment and trade in clean energy," Travis Sullivan, policy director for Commerce Department, told reporters.

The two countries have tremendous trade opportunities in areas such as wind power, energy efficiency, clean coal and modernizing the electric grid, but U.S. companies face high tariffs on some exports, Sullivan said.

They also worry about Chinese practices that favor domestic companies and weak intellectual property rights protection that puts their patented products at risk, he said.

At the same time, Locke will listen to China's concerns about U.S. export controls that restrict sales of some high-technology goods, Sullivan said.