US stimulus plan may create trade barriers

The "buy American" products only clause in the $787-billion US economic stimulus package will create a number of trade barriers and hurt exports powerhouses such as China, economists said yesterday.

"Trade protectionism will rise definitely," Mei Xinyu, a trade expert with the Ministry of Commerce, said.

"The trend will last for some time," he said, referring to the "bell cow" effect of the US stimulus package.