NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #30/NN_1992_30.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/9415

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From: Kai Mander <[e-mail]>
Subject: TRADE.NEWS 12-17-92
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TRADE NEWS BULLETIN  Volume I Number 213
Thursday, December 17, 1992
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NAFTA News Summary
_________________________________________________________
LEADERS SCHEDULED TO SIGN NAFTA TODAY

The leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico will sign the
North American Free Trade Agreement today amid increasing
concerns that it will cause job losses and environmental destruction
(see story below).  U.S. President George Bush, Canadian Prime
Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas de
Gortari initialed the trade pact in San Antonio, Texas October 7, but
today's official signing sends the agreement to the countries'
legislatures for consideration.  The leaders will sign NAFTA in a
ceremony that will include telephone and possible video link-ups
between Washington, Ottawa and Mexico City.

While Bush faces a tough battle getting NAFTA approved in Congress,
Canadian and Mexican officials are expecting an easier time.  They
contend that U.S. President-elect Bill Clinton will not delay the pact
and that the ratification process will proceed as scheduled.  "Our
understanding is that (Clinton) is satisfied with the text of NAFTA as
it is and wants to negotiate additional parallel agreements on
environmental and labor safety standards," a Canadian trade official
said.  "He does not intend to reopen the text."

Salinas will have little trouble in the Mexican Senate where his
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) commands a huge majority.
But many in Mexico fear widespread job losses and business closures
due to new competition.  In a recent State of the Nation address,
Salinas said increased competition "will mean greater investment and
gains in production and exports."

Source: "Bush to Sign Mexico Trade But Opposition Mounts," REUTER,
December 16, 1992; "Canada Expects Clinton to Seek Fast NAFTA
Approval," December 16, 1992; "NAFTA Signing Locks in Salinas
Economic Reforms," REUTER, December 16, 1992;
_________________________________________________________
GROUPS ANNOUNCE NEW CAMPAIGN AGAINST NAFTA

At a press conference yesterday, a coalition of labor, environmental,
consumer and farm groups -- claiming to represent some 40 million
Americans -- said NAFTA would cost thousands of U.S. jobs and hurt
the environment.  The AFL-CIO, Greenpeace, National Farmers Union,
the National Consumers League and others announced a new
campaign to encourage Congress to defeat NAFTA.

Jesse Jackson told the conference that Bush should allow President-
elect Bill Clinton to improve the trade pact.  "Let us work with the
Clinton Administration to craft a trade policy that binds our
hemisphere together on the crucial issues of jobs, trade, energy, the
environment and economic development."

William Bywater, president of the International Union of Electronic,
Electrical, Salaried, Machine and Furniture Workers called for a
rejection of NAFTA.  "I believe the American people, if they know
what's behind it, that their jobs are in jeopardy ... they are going to
be against this NAFTA agreement,"  he said.

In one of a series of planned television and newspaper
advertisements by the coalition, today's NEW YORK TIMES (national
edition 12-17-92, p. A7), WASHINGTON POST and USA TODAY
contain advertisements protesting today's signing.  Under the
headline, "Without Regard to the Human Impact of Their Decisions,"
the groups contend the current draft of NAFTA would: undermine
labor, environmental and social standards; lead to environmental
ruin; cause massive U.S. and Canadian job losses; destroy family
farms; and threaten democratic process.

The legislatures of Canada and Mexico must also approve the deal,
but the coalition will focus its efforts on defeating NAFTA in the U.S.
law-making body.

Source: "Without Regard to the Human Impact of Their Decisions,"
NEW YORK TIMES, December 17, 1992, p. A7; Michelle Mittelstadt,
"Free Trade," AP, December 16, 1992.
_________________________________________________________
GATT News Summary
_________________________________________________________
FRANCE VOWS TO BLOCK EC FARM PROPOSAL IN GATT

In a move that seems to have ended any possibility of wrapping up
global trade talks this year, France announced it would block
European Community offers to cut import tariffs on agriculture
products.  The announcement came only hours after the EC had
presented the proposals to the General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade (GATT).

French Foreign Minister Roland Dumas said he told GATT Director-
General Arthur Dunkel that European Commission negotiators had
gone beyond their mandate and that the French government
considered the farm proposals "null and void, and without (legal)
commitment and value."

Dumas was undoubtedly referring to EC External Affairs
Commissioner Frans Andriessen and Agriculture Commissioner Ray
MacSharry when he accused the two commissioners of being
"disloyal to their mandates."

Source: Clare Nullis, "France-Trade," AP, December 16, 1992; "Dumas
Says EC GATT Offer 'Null and Void,'" REUTER, December 16, 1992;
Bhushan Bahree, Bob Davis, "French Objection to Lower Farm Tariffs
Will Likely Delay World Trade Talks," WALL STREET JOURNAL,
December 17, 1992, p. A7; David Gardner, "EC Ministers Strive to Tie
Up Farm Reform Loose Ends," FINANCIAL TIMES, December 17, 1992,
p. 24.
_________________________________________________________
CLINTON HOPES FOR GATT DEAL SOON, AIDE SAYS

President-elect Bill Clinton hopes the Bush Administration is
successful in negotiating a GATT deal, said George Stephanopoulos,
Clinton's communications director.  "He supports GATT and he
supports NAFTA, those positions stand," Stephanopoulus said.

Source: "Spokesman Says Clinton Hopes for GATT Accord Soon,"
REUTER, December 16, 1992.
_________________________________________________________
JAPANESE FARMERS RALLY TO KEEP RICE BAN

Over ten thousand Japanese farmers took to the streets of Tokyo for
the second day to protest a possible lifting of Japan's ban on foreign
rice imports.  "Japanese rice farming has created history and culture,"
agriculture cooperative worker Haruo Kurihara told a rally at a sumo
arena.  "If imports from bigger farms are allowed, Japanese rice
farming will be destroyed and Japanese culture and social order will
collapse totally."

GATT trading partners are pushing Japan to end the ban.  In Tokyo
Wednesday, EC External Affairs Commissioner Frans Andriessen
encouraged Japan to take a "political" decision to replace the rice ban
with a tariffication program.  But Foreign Minister Michio Watanabe
told Andriessen that Japan could not promise to lift the ban.

Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa told a conference Wednesday that
Japan must make a firm decision next month on whether to drop the
ban.

Source: Andrew Pollack, "Japanese Farmers Hold a Rally for Keeping a
Ban on Rice Imports," NEW YORK TIMES, December 17, 1992, p. A7;
Robert Thomson, "Japan Urged to Open Its Rice Market," FINANCIAL
TIMES, December 17, 1992, p. 5; Risa Maeda, "Japan Retreats to Say
No to Compromise on Rice Ban," December 16, 1992; "Miyazawa Says
Japan Needs Rice Decisions Next Month," REUTER, December 16, 1992.
_________________________________________________________
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]
_________________________________________________________