NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #30/NN_1992_30.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/9372

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From: [e-mail] (Kai Mander)
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Subject: TRADE.NEWS 12-14-92
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Date: 15 Dec 92 19:41:09 GMT
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/* Written  1:01 pm  Dec 14, 1992 by [e-mail] in igc:trade.news */
/* ---------- "TRADE.NEWS 12-14-92" ---------- */

TRADE NEWS BULLETIN  Volume I Number 210
Monday, December 14, 1992
_________________________________________________________
GATT News Summary
_________________________________________________________
ENVIRONMENTAL, CONSUMER GROUPS RIP GATT, NAFTA IN AD

A coalition of environmental and consumer groups sponsored a full-
page advertisement in three major U.S. newspapers today accusing
President Bush of rushing to complete the General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) before President-elect Bill Clinton assumes
office January 20.

The ad encourages people to write Bush, Clinton and House Majority
Leader Richard Gephardt (D-Missouri) demanding an end to efforts to
enact GATT and NAFTA.  The groups said the agreements would
endanger jobs, health, food safety, the environment and threaten the
sovereignty of the U.S. and other countries by enabling "the world's
largest corporations to circumvent democracy and kill those local and
national laws that protect people and the planet."

The statement ran in today's NEW YORK TIMES (national edition),
WASHINGTON POST and LITTLE ROCK GAZETTE under the headline,
"Sabotage of America's Health, Food Safety, and Environmental
Laws."  It was signed by the Sierra Club, Greenpeace U.S.A, the
Foundation on Economic Trends, Public Citizen and 17 other
organizations.

Source: "Sabotage! of America's Health, Food Safety, and
Environmental Laws," NEW YORK TIMES (national edition), December
14, 1992, p. A12; "Sabotage! of America's Health, Food Safety, and
Environmental Laws," WASHINGTON POST, December 14, 1992, p.
A20.
_________________________________________________________
GATT ROUND IN DANGER OVER US DEMANDS TO REOPEN TEXT

According to sources in Geneva, the United States has asked GATT
Director-General Arthur Dunkel to reopen negotiations in some major
areas, including the Multilateral Trading Organization (MTO), textiles,
phytosanitary measures, antidumping, intellectual property,
subsidies and services.  "We're not asking for scrapping the Dunkel
text, but we are going to ask for reasonable adjustments," a U.S.
official said.  "If we didn't, this thing would be dead on arrival in
Washington."

Regarding the MTO, the U.S. says the Dunkel proposal, goes far
beyond what it had anticipated.  Under an MTO, GATT member-
nations would be required to align their domestic trade policies with
the provisions of any accord.  Environmental groups contend an MTO
would force countries to remove or weaken environmental laws to
comply with free trade.

Trading partners said the U.S. hesitance to accept the MTO may pose
a serious threat to completing GATT by the end of the year.  "If the
U.S. is really putting into question the whole idea of the MTO with all
the elements that are good, then that is a very serious problem," a
senior European Community official told reporters.  The EC has
apparently told the U.S. that any changes to the MTO would be
"unacceptable," but U.S. trading partners called on the U.S. to propose
a substitute text.

Japan's refusal to lift its rice import ban is shaping up as another
obstacle to completion of the Uruguay Round.  After trips to
Washington and Brussels to meet with U.S. and EC officials,
Agriculture Minister Masami Tanabu said he failed to reach a
settlement to the rice dispute, and vowed to keep the rice markets
closed.  U.S. Trade Representative Carla Hills and EC Farm
Commissioner Ray MacSharry reportedly encouraged Tanabu to lift
the ban in order to complete the GATT negotiations.

Tanabu expressed doubt the Uruguay Round could be completed by
the end of the year.  "It's hard to predict how the talks will develop,"
Tanabu said.  "Each nation has its own problems if the negotiations go
into detail."

Meanwhile, at a meeting of the European Council in Edinburgh,
December 11-12, the council welcomed the resumption of GATT
negotiations and reiterated its commitment to an early,
comprehensive and balanced agreement.

Source: "Negotiators Say U.S. Stance May Stall GATT Pact,"
MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE, December 11, 1992; "Conclusions of
Dec. 11-12 Edinburgh Summit," REUTER, December 14, 1992;
"Japanese Official Pessimistic On GATT Conclusion By Year's End," UPI,
December 11, 1992; John Zarocostas, "US, EC Clash Over Proposed
Trade Group," JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, December 11, 1992, p. 1A.
_________________________________________________________
CLINTON EXPECTS GATT NEGOTIATIONS TO DRAG ON

Despite increasing pressure from Democratic lawmakers, labor
unions, environmentalists and several large U.S. industries, Bill
Clinton is not expected to call for a delay in GATT negotiations.   The
reason, aides say, is Clinton does not anticipate a completed
agreement before he takes office January 20.  The negotiations "have
already slowed down," said a senior Clinton adviser.  "He doesn't
have to take a position."

Source: Bob Davis, "Clinton Isn't Expected to Urge a Delay in Current
Discussions on World Trade," WALL STREET JOURNAL, December 14,
1992, p. A2; John Maggs, "Clinton Seen Hesitant to Intervene in Trade
Talks," JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, December 11, 1992, p. 1A.
_________________________________________________________
NAFTA News Summary
_________________________________________________________
NEW SENATE FINANCE CHAIR HAS CONCERNS ABOUT NAFTA

Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-New York), who is expected to
succeed Senator Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) as chair of the Senate
Finance Committee, has, in the past, expressed strong reservations
about the North American Free Trade Agreement.  But last week,
Moynihan said if President-elect Bill Clinton is in favor of the pact,
"then I'll be for it."  Moynihan said he still has some concerns that he
hopes the new administration will address.  "I'd like to know more
what the Canadians feel about this subject," Moynihan said.

Bentsen will leave the Senate to become Treasury Secretary in the
Clinton Administration.

Source: Kim I. Mills, "Loyal Moynihan," AP, December 11, 1992.
_________________________________________________________
Events:

The American Bar Association, the Inter-Pacific Bar Association and
the United States-Asia Environmental Partnership are hosting a
conference called TRADE AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN PACIFIC RIM
NATIONS, February 15-17, 1993, Hong Kong Convention and
Exhibition Center.  For additional information, call or fax Anne B.
Dunn, American Bar Association.  Tel: [phone].  Fax: (202)
331-2220.
_________________________________________________________
Resources:

Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group founded by Ralph Nader,
has prepared a briefing book for the 103rd Congress on international
trade agreements.  WHY VOTERS ARE CONCERNED: ENVIRONMENTAL
AND CONSUMER PROBLEMS IN GATT AND NAFTA.  To obtain a copy
of the report or a list of Public Citizen's other publications concerning
international trade, contact: Public Citizen, 215 Pennsylvania Avenue
SE, Washington, D.C. 20003.  Tel: [phone].  Fax: (202) 547-
7392.  Email: [e-mail].
_________________________________________________________
Other On-line Conferences:

trade.strategy - a discussion of trade issues
trade.library - a repository of trade information
eai.news - a news summary of Latin American trade topics
susag.news - a news summary of sustainable agriculture issues

Produced by:
Kai Mander
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP)
1313 Fifth Street SE, Suite #303
Minneapolis, MN 55414-1546 USA

Telephone:[phone] Fax:[phone]
E-Mail:[e-mail]
_________________________________________________________