EXPORT AND TRADE POSITIONS OF SEN. MIKE BARRETT


Governors Dukakis and Weld emphasized the state's relationship 
exclusively with the Atlantic rim.  As governor, Mike Barrett 
would expand the state's trading relationship to include Pacific 
rim nations.  This expansion would include establishing retail 
facilities in Asia which stock Massachusetts-made products.  

Increasingly, Massachusetts products have become more difficult 
to export abroad because they do not conform to ISO 9000 
international quality standards.  As governor, Mike would create 
within the state's university system a center which would assist 
Massachusetts manufacturers in adapting to these standards.

In his 1994 economic package, Mike has proposed:

-- Extending the state's investment tax credit to include the 
cost of retraining workers.  This would encourage manufacturing 
and export firms to remain in Massachusetts and enable them to be 
more competitive abroad.

-- Creating a revolving loan pool for Massachusetts companies 
retraining after defense conversion.

-- Lowering the long-term capital gains tax for investments in 
Massachusetts-based companies.

-- Establishing special commissions on emerging technologies and 
Vice-President Gore's information superhighway.