American retailers will lobby US officials in Beijing this week to speed up visa processing for Chinese tourists and business travellers, as they seek affluent visitors from emerging markets at a time of weak domestic consumption growth.
US retailers argue that the current system places the US at a global disadvantage. Businesses are also pushing for faster visa evaluations so it will be easier to bring local managers to the US for training.
“In a way it’s a customer service problem. Demand has surged and the state department has not opened up enough check-out lines,” said David French, senior vice-president for government relations at the National Retail Federation, a lobby group.