Treasury Minister Allan Bell has claimed it would have been inappropriate for Treasury representatives to be present at the public hearing of the US Senate committee, investigating tax havens.
Speaking in Tynwald, Mr Bell said 'in the world of real politics, might is right and the Isle of Man is a very tiny player on the world scale'.
The US committee has targeted the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands as havens for tax evaders.
The Island's written response to the committee is being posted on the Isle of Man government website.
Mr Bell says going there could have had a negative effect (audio file attached):
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