NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #1/NN_1993_1.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/9782

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From: Kai Mander <[e-mail]>
Subject: TRADE.NEWS 1-4-93
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TRADE NEWS BULLETIN  Volume II  Number 1
Monday, January 4, 1993
_________________________________________________________
NAFTA News Summary
_________________________________________________________
SALINAS, CLINTON WILL MEET THIS WEEK

Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari and U.S. President-elect
Bill Clinton will meet in Austin, Texas January 8.  They are expected
to discuss the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and a
recent U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing the kidnapping of
Mexicans in Mexico to bring them to the United States for trial.

Reports from Mexico indicate Salinas is becoming increasingly
concerned about Clinton's expressed "reservations" about NAFTA's
environmental and labor regulations.  "Under Bush, it was a question
of lobbying individual members of Congress to win their vote for
ratification," said Ted Bardecke, political editor of EL FINANCIERO
INTERNACIONAL.  "Now Salinas has to lobby the whole government."

Source: "President Salinas to Meet with Clinton, Mexico City," UPI,
December 27, 1992; John Ross, "Mexican Politicians Wary of Clinton
Presidency," LATINAMERICA PRESS, November 26, 1992, p. 3.
_________________________________________________________
PUERTO RICO FACES HARD TIMES UNDER NAFTA

Many Puerto Rican political and business leaders are worried NAFTA
will diminish the island's appeal to U.S. businesses.  Puerto Rico has
long been a destination for American companies looking for low
wages and tax incentives, but under NAFTA, those same companies
will have access to Mexico's even lower wages.   This coupled with
the possibility that Section 936 tax exemptions will be eliminated
form a "double whammy" for Puerto Rico that could lead to a "total
collapse" of the economy, said former Puerto Rican governor Rafael
Hernandez Colon.

In addition, Puerto Rican business officials say U.S. companies will
flock to Mexico to take advantage of the less-regulated economic
environment.  "Don't forget about the FDA, EPA, OSHA and their
rules," said Hector Jimenez Juarbe, executive director of the Puerto
Rico Manufacturing Association.  "All those things are in place [in
Puerto Rico], but not in Mexico."

The National Puerto Rican Coalition, which represents approximately
100 Puerto Rican community and advocacy groups, announced its
opposition to NAFTA in December.

Source: Larry Rohter, "Trade Pact Threatens Puerto Rico's Economic
Rise," NEW YORK TIMES, January 3, 1992, p. 1.
_________________________________________________________
JESSE JACKSON RIPS NAFTA IN EDITORIAL

In a recent opinion-editorial in the LOS ANGELES TIMES, Jesse
Jackson argued NAFTA would only benefit global corporations big
enough to move to Mexico, while workers, small businesses, family
farmers and environmentalists in Mexico, the United States and
Canada would suffer.

"The major export of NAFTA is the same 'trickle-down economics' the
U.S. public rejected in the '92 elections."  Jackson cited a study by the
Economic Policy Institute which reveals NAFTA will cost as many as
500,000 U.S. jobs as well as a report by Professor Edward Leamer of
UCLA which found NAFTA would lead to a decrease in average U.S.
wages.  In addition, Jackson asserted, NAFTA will fuel the trend
toward regional trading blocs and protectionism.

Source: Jesse Jackson, "Trade and Thorns," LOS ANGELES TIMES.
_________________________________________________________
GATT News Summary
_________________________________________________________
INDIAN FARMERS PROTEST GATT RESTRICTIONS ON SEEDS

About 500 farmers in India last week protested GATT proposals to
protect seed patents developed by Western companies.  Many
Western companies lobbied for the provision because they claim
developing countries, such as India, lack adequate copyright
standards to prevent copying of products and information.  Ten
farmers were arrested for burning documents and damaging
furniture of the Bangalore, India office of the U.S. based Cargill Inc.

Source: "Protesting Farmers Damage Cargill Subsidiary in India,"
MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE, January 1, 1993, p. 3D.
_________________________________________________________
Resources:

1.  The U.S. CITIZENS' ANALYSIS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN FREE
TRADE AGREEMENT includes chapters on the environment, energy,
agriculture, labor, investment and corporate rights, automotives,
rules of origin, dispute resolution, pre-emption of state law,
intellectual property, financial services and the Enterprise for the
Americas Initiative.  The analysis is available for US$4.00 from the
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (see address below).  Also
available on Econet conference, "trade.library".

2.  WHICH WAY FOR THE AMERICAS: ANALYSIS OF NAFTA
PROPOSALS AND THE IMPACT ON CANADA", a 114-page analysis of
NAFTA by Canadian citizens groups is available from the Canadian
Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).  To order, contact CCPA at
#804-251 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5J6.  Tel: (613)
563-1342.  Fax: [phone].
_________________________________________________________
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]
EMail:[e-mail]
_________________________________________________________