From: Andrew Lang <lang@igc.apc.org>
Subject: TRADE.NEWS 12-22-92
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: ?
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1993 20:44:52 GMT

/* Written  2:57 pm  Dec 22, 1992 by hholm@igc.apc.org in igc:trade.news */
/* ---------- "TRADE.NEWS 12-22-92" ---------- */

TRADE NEWS BULLETIN
Tuesday,  December 22,  1992
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GATT News Summary
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NEW GATT OBSTACLE: U.S. NEGOTIATING STANCE

U.S. moves to revoke earlier concessions in such areas as 
industrial tariffs and financial services have provoked European 
accusations that the U.S. is backtracking in GATT negotiations.  
The charge,  along with a number of other still-unresolved 
issues,  casts doubt on whether a completed world trade deal 
will be reached by mid-January,  a goal U.S. President Bush and 
British Prime Minister John Major promised to aim for over the 
weekend.  U.S Trade Representative Carla Hills argued that the 
U.S. position was justified by the "limited results" the U.S. 
achieved in its recent deal with the EC over farm subsidies.  
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Kathleen A. Lyndon said all 
blame for delay in the trade talks rests with the French,  "who 
have made no secret of their goal to hold hostage the entire 
world trade system to get past their March election."

French Agriculture Minister Jean Pierre Soisson claimed victory 
for France in its efforts to resist the terms of the U.S. - EC 
agricultural deal,  saying,  "We are winning the battle over 
GATT.  I don't think the Washington draft agreement can be 
implemented in the present circumstances."  Soisson told Reuter 
in an interview that points of contention remain between the 
U.S. and EC over whether export subsidy cuts of 21% and 
guaranteed 5% EC market access by 1999 are to be accross the 
board for all products,  or whether bigger percentages for some 
goods can be offset by smaller percentages in others.  On 
Monday, French Foreign Minister Roland Dumas accused the 
European Commission of overstepping its negotiating mandate 
by presenting its formal offers on subsidy cuts at GATT talks in 
Geneva last week without obtaining approval from the 
ministers.  Frans Andriessen,  EC Commissioner for external 
relations and trade,  hotly denied that the Commission action 
was innappropriate.

Andriessen and EC agriculture commissioner Ray MacSharry 
will leave this week to make way for members of the new EC 
Commission.  Former EC competitiveness commissioner Sir Leon 
Brittan of Britain will take over Andriessen's post,  and 
Luxembourg farm minister Rene Steichen will replace 
MacSharry.

Source:  William Drozdiak,  "U.S. Accused of Retreating in Trade 
Talks,"  WASHINGTON POST FOREIGN SERVICE;  Juliette Rouillon,  
"France Winning GATT Tussle,  Farm Minister Says,"  REUTER,  
December 22,  1992;  "France Repeats Trade Charges Against EC 
Commission,"  REUTER;  "Britain Joins Chorus Against U.S. Stance 
on GATT,"  REUTER,  December 21,  1992;  Andres Wolberg-Stok, 
"EC's Andriessen-MacSharry GATT Duo Bows Out,"  REUTER,  
December 22,  1992;  Lionel Barber,  "French Threat to Trade 
Accord,"  FINANCIAL TIMES, December 22, 1992;  John 
Zaracostas,  "Dunkel Warns Trade Negotiators of Race on Time,"  
JOURNAL OF COMMERCE,  December 21, 1992.
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LATIN AMERICAN NATIONS PROTEST BANANA QUOTA

Colombia,  Costa Rica,  Ecuador,  Guatemala,  Honduras,  
Nicaragua,  Panama and Venezuela have signed a statement 
asking the EC to review its banana quota agreement.  The EC 
Farm Council last week adopted  a  2 million ton quota on Latin 
American banana imports with a  20% tariff. The tariff rises to 
170% for quantities over the quota.  The limits are designed to 
protect bananas from former European colonies in Africa,  the 
Caribbean, the Pacific and within the EC,  which are produced on 
a smaller scale than bananas from the corporate plantations of 
Latin America.  

Source:  "Latin Banana Producers Protest EC Import Quotas,"  
REUTER,  December 22,  1992.
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NAFTA News Summary
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NAFTA KEY IN U.S. BUYING OF MEXICAN STOCKS

Wall Street analysts say U.S. investors will increasingly invest in 
Mexico in 1993,  due to expectations of lower interest rates and 
increased confidence in the stability of the Mexican economy.   
Expectations of progress towards approval of the NAFTA will 
also play a big role, according to one analyst. "NAFTA is sort of a 
signal on many fronts that in Mexico you wont be able to turn 
the clock back and the reforms will be there to stay, "  said 
Smith Barney analyst Scott Kaulb.

Source:  Patricia Vowinkel,  "U.S. Investors Back Mexican Stocks,  
NAFTA Key,"  REUTER,  December 21,   1992.
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Other On-line Conferences:
trade.strategy - a discussion of trade issues
trade.library - a repository of trade information
eai.news - a news summary on Latin American trade topics
susag.news - a news summary of sustainable agriculture issues


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
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Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive