From: harelb@math.cornell.edu (misc.activism.progressive co-moderator)
Subject: TRADE NEWS: Media Invents Mexican "Support" for NAFTA
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: misc.activism.progressive on UseNet ; ACTIV-L@UMCVMB
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 23:52:34 GMT

    "The group also mentioned a new survey by the independent Mexican
    Institute of Public Opinion which finds Mexicans pretty evenly
    split over the deal.  Fifty percent of the poll's respondents said
    they did not think the government acted appropriately in seeking
    NAFTA compared to 48 percent who approved."
 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    At this point, an objective of the EC and US could be to come
    CLOSE..TO completing the talks .. before the end of the year.
    Such an announcement would allow both sides to promote the
    agreement without having to release potentially unpopular details
    before the election [..] This weekend's talks are shrouded by such
    secrecy that it has not been announced where the talks will take
    place nor how long they will last [..]

******************************************************************
[Via misc.activism.progressive from PeaceNet's trade.news]
 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Topic 173       TRADE.NEWS 10-8-92 
kmander Updates on GATT & NAFTA Negotiations     2:36 pm  Oct  8, 1992 
 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
TRADE NEWS BULLETIN 
Thursday, October 8, 1992 
_________________________________________________________ 
NAFTA News Summary 
_________________________________________________________ 
MANY MEXICANS NOT SO ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT NAFTA 

While there have been many reports about the opposition to the  
North American Free Trade Agreement in Canada and the United  
States, Mexicans are usually characterized as favoring the trade  
treaty.  A group of environmentalists, leftists and nationalists  
congregated in San Antonio yesterday to show that many Mexicans  
are opposed to the trade treaty.  The National Patriotic Front called  
Wednesday for Mexico's senate to reject the treaty, and said  
yesterday's "signing" ceremony served no purpose other than to  
boost President Bush's chances of gaining re-election.  Miguel Aroche,  
one of the group's leaders, said NAFTA breaches Mexican sovereignty  
and that it was pushed through hastily to benefit Bush. 

Luis Sanchez Aguilar said the group opposed the treaty because it  
would "convert Mexico into the biggest maquiladora on the planet"  
and allow the U.S. to "use the Mexican workforce as slaves." 

The group also mentioned a new survey by the independent Mexican  
Institute of Public Opinion which finds Mexicans pretty evenly split  
over the deal.  Fifty percent of the poll's respondents said they did  
not think the government acted appropriately in seeking NAFTA  
compared to 48 percent who approved.  Seventy-two percent of the  
respondents said they were opposed to the treaty's allowance of 100  
percent foreign ownership of established Mexican companies.  Only  
27 percent of those polled said they thought Mexican law should be  
changed to accommodate NAFTA. 

Source: "Mexican Group Opposes North American Free Trade  
Agreement," UPI, October 7, 1992; "Mexicans Split on NAFTA,"  
FINANCIAL TIMES, October 8, 1992, p. 7. 
_________________________________________________________ 
GATT News Summary 
_________________________________________________________ 
OFFICIALS SOUND OPTIMISTIC ABOUT GATT CHANCES 

EC, U.S. and GATT officials are sounding more optimistic that a  
breakthrough will take place during this weekend's EC-US talks on  
the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.  Both U.S. Trade  
Representative Carla Hills and EC External Affairs Commissioner  
Frans Andriessen made statements indicating the two sides are very  
close to an accord. 

In San Antonio for a NAFTA ceremony, U.S. Trade Representative  
Carla Hills said, "I will do everything in my power, and I'm backed  
by the president ... to bring these global trade talks to a successful  
conclusion."  She said it was unlikely the pact would be completed  
this weekend but that there could be a significant breakthrough.   
Hills added, "We're looking for a consensus of opinion in the  
European Community with respect to agriculture, which has been a  
stumbling block." 

In Brussels, Andriessen declared that he expects the talks will  
establish the basic elements of a deal to unblock the Uruguay Round.   
In Wellington, New Zealand, trade ministers from New Zealand and  
Australia also seemed to expect progress in the negotiations.  They  
said they were cautiously optimistic that a successful conclusion to  
the Uruguay Round could be achieved soon. 

European officials are hoping that Hills and Agriculture Secretary  
Edward Madigan will bring a significant new offer to Brussels in  
order to achieve an accord ahead of the November 3 election.   
Sensing the possibility of a breakthrough, Andriessen and  
Agriculture Commissioner Ray MacSharry apparently have been  
granted greater flexibility to strike a deal, but only if the Americans  
offer significant concessions.   

Most observers feel France will determine whether a breakthrough  
occurs at the talks.  EC officials have stepped up efforts to convince  
France that now is the time to accept an agriculture accord and an  
overall deal.  Tristan Garel-Jones, UK's Minister of Foreign Affairs,  
said "we have to take advantage" of President Bush's eagerness to  
achieve a GATT accord because afterward, regardless of the outcome,  
"the pressure on him will diminish." 

At this point, an objective of the EC and US could be to come close  
enough to completing the talks to allow Bush and European leaders to  
declare that a deal is likely before the end of the year.  Such an  
announcement would allow both sides to promote the agreement  
without having to release potentially unpopular details before the  
election.   

This weekend's talks are shrouded by such secrecy that it has not  
been announced where the talks will take place nor how long they  
will last, only that they could continue into Monday. 

Source: Lionel Barber, "Deadlock on GATT May Be Broken Soon,"  
FINANCIAL TIMES, October 8, 1992, p. 7; William Drozdiak, "U.S.  
Vote, Market Turmoil Raise Hope of GATT Progress," WASHINGTON  
POST, October 8, 1992; "GATT 'Breakthrough' Possible in Weekend  
Talks: U.S. Official," AFX NEWS; "EC'S Andriessen Sees Basis of GATT  
Deal Reached in Weekend Talks With U.S.," AFX NEWS; "Bush  
Administration Hopeful of GATT 'Breakthrough,'" UPI, October 7,  
1992. 
_________________________________________________________ 
EC FARMERS URGE EC NOT TO GIVE IN TO US PRESSURE ON GATT 

As a GATT breakthrough begins to appear likely, European farmers  
are expressing increasing concern that Europe will offer too many  
concessions to the United States to achieve a GATT settlement. 

The French farmers continue to be the strongest against it.  A  
representative of the young farmers' union told a reporter, "If there  
is an agreement under present conditions, the farmers will explode."   
The official said the union expects an accord in coming days because  
France will not be able to resist the pressure from the other eleven  
EC members. 

France's new farm minister, Jean-Pierre Soisson, was scheduled to  
meet with EC Commission President Jacques Delors and other  
European farm ministers in Brussels today to defend France's  
increasingly isolated position in the talks. 

UK National Farmers Union President David Naish expressed concern  
that Europe will rush into a solution. The NFU supports a GATT deal  
but, Naish adds, "We want one that recognizes that we too have the  
right to proper protection mechanisms which are operated in almost  
every country in the world." 

Source: "French Farmers Threaten More Violence If GATT Deal,"  
REUTER, October 7, 1992; "UK Farmers Urge EC Not to Rush Into GATT  
Deal," REUTER, October 8, 1992; "French Farm Minister to Meet Delors  
in Brussels," REUTER, October 8, 1992. 
_________________________________________________________ 
Produced by: 
Kai Mander     
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