From: Hannah Holm <hholm%igc.apc.org@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject: TRADE NEWS  DECEMBER 15,  1992
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: ?
Resent-From: "Rich Winkel" <MATHRICH@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 21:12:54 GMT



TRADE NEWS BULLETIN
Tuesday,  December 15,  1992
Volume 1,  Number 211
__________________________________________________
GATT News Summary
__________________________________________________
FARM MINISTERS DELAY GATT DISCUSSION, PROTEST
CONTINUES

EC farm ministers meeting Monday did not immediately address
the recent U.S.-EC deal on agriculture subsidies,  but were
expected to discuss the issue tonight.  "An acrimonious GATT
debate would sour prospects of an agreement on other issues,"
said one official.  Other items,  such as a new regime for banana
trade,  farm trade exchange rates and animal health and
hygiene standards,  must be dealt with in order to complete the
EC market by the first of next year.  Opinion in the press was
divided on whether or not the EC would continue negotiating
the details of the subsidy deal before the farm ministers
evaluated the its compliance with the Community's Common
Agricultural Policy (CAP).

The building where the ministers are meeting is barricaded
with barbed wire against farmers protesting the U.S.-EC deal.
Protest exists off the street as well,  with the Greens of the
European Parliament instigating a motion of censure against the
EC Commission for its part in the negotiations. The Greens argue
that the Commission went beyond its mandate and violated its
commitment not to go beyond the CAP.

Source:  Paul Ames,  "Europe-Farm Trade,"  AP,  December 14,
1992;  "EC Farm Ministers Delay GATT Debate,  Start on
Agrimony,"  REUTER, December 14,  1992;  John Zaracostas,
"Lack of Tariff Cuts Stalls GATT Talks,"  JOURNAL OF COMMERCE,
December 14,  1992;  Press Release from the Green Group In the
European Parliament, November 27,  1992.
__________________________________________________
CHINA MUST PROVIDE DETAILS ON ECONOMY TO JOIN
GATT

GATT members have said that, in order to join GATT, China
must by January 15 answer detailed questions on subsidies and
internal price support mechanisms and give assurances that
GATT trade rules are applied.  "It's (China) a peculiar animal
that you have to get to know before accepting it,"  said one
person close to the negotiations.  China said this week-end it
meets all requirements and should be admitted promptly.
China has offered to sign any agreement reached in the Uruguay
round of negotiations.

Source:  "GATT Members Ask China To Explain Economy,"
REUTER,  December 11,  1992.
__________________________________________________
NAFTA News Summary
__________________________________________________
DATABASE ON U.S.-MEXICO WAST MOVEMENT

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Sedesol,
Mexico's environmental agency,  have developed a database
designed to make it easier to control cross-border movement of
hazardous waste.  The Binational Hazardous Waste Tracking
System is part of a new procedure under which freight carriers
are supposed to have an EPA-assigned  number accompanying
their manifests to show that the agency was notified of the
shipment.  As the database expands,  it is expected to make it
easier to track production,  movement and treatment of
hazardous waste on both sides of the border.

Source:  Charles W.  Thurston, "U.S. - Mexico Database Lists
Hazardous Waste,"  JOURNAL OF COMMERCE,  December 14,
1992.
__________________________________________________
FARM GROUPS,  BLACK LEGISLATORS OPPOSE NAFTA

The North Dakota Farmers Union and the Rural Coalition,  a
group of U.S. and Mexican grass-roots organizations,  have both
issued statements against the North American Free Trade
Agreement.  The groups fear that NAFTA could have negative
consequences for family farmers.

The National Black Caucus of State Legislators also has
expressed strong reservations about NAFTA,  and GATT as well.
NBCSL's "Resolution on NAFTA and GATT".says both GATT and
NAFTA would allow other countries to challenge a variety of
state and federal laws and would "in effect start a bidding war"
to attract corporate investment by lowering worker standards.
The NBCSL resolution also says minorities would be
disproportionately hurt by the loss of low-wage jobs to Mexico
under NAFTA.

Source:  "NDFU Urges Bush Not To Sign NAFTA Trade Accord,"
UNION FARMER,  December,  1992;  Rural Coalition letter,  fall
1992;  "Resolution on NAFTA and GATT,"  by the Labor and
Management Committee of the NBCSL,  Honorable Charles
Quincy Troupe Chairman.
__________________________________________________
Resource:

1.  An in-depth examination of the links between current and
former United States Trade Representative (USTR) officials and
foreign corporations by the Center for Public Integrity:  OFFICE
OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE - AMERICAS
FRONTLINE TRADE OFFICIALS, by Charles Lewis.  The report
found that since 1974,  47% of the former USTR officials have
registered (or their firms have registered) with the Justice
Department as foreign agents.  Detailed career histories of
current and past officials are included.  Available from:  The
Center for Public Integrity,  1910 K Street NW,  Suite 802,
Washington,  D.C., 20006.
__________________________________________________
Produced by:
Hannah Holm
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP)
1313 Fifth Street SE, Suite #303
Minneapolis, MN 55414-1546 USA

Telephone:(612)379-5980 Fax:(612)379-5982
E-Mail:kmander@igc.org
_________________________________________________________

Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive