From: harelb@math.cornell.edu (Harel Barzilai)
Subject: TRADE NEWS 9/10/92
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: ?
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 22:48:53 GMT

[Sample via misc.activism.progressive from PeaceNet's trade.news]
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Topic 156       TRADE.NEWS 9-10-92 
kmander Updates on GATT & NAFTA Negotiations     2:22 pm  Sep 10, 1992 
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TRADE NEWS BULLETIN 
Thursday, September 10, 1992 
_________________________________________________________ 
NAFTA News Summary 
_________________________________________________________ 
GEPHARDT CALLS FOR CHANGES IN NAFTA  

Citing substandard environmental provisions and inadequate worker  
retraining programs, U.S. House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt  
(D-Missouri) called on the Bush Administration to renegotiate the  
North American Free Trade Agreement or "leave it to the next  
Administration to be written right." 

While Gephardt emphasized his belief that a good free trade  
agreement would benefit all sides, he declared that if changes are not  
made in the current text, "Congress could not responsibly approve  
the NAFTA agreement."  Gephardt said he believed the treaty is  
extremely unpopular with the American people.  "To those who  
believe that average Americans don't know their own interests, or  
fail to appreciate the benefits of free trade theory, you are wrong,"  
he said.  "The American people get it, this issue resonates with them,  
and the NAFTA agreement is rapidly becoming, substantively and  
symbolically, representative of everything that is wrong in their  
lives economically." (Gephardt's speech can be found in trade.library). 

Source: "Remarks of Congressman Richard A. Gephardt," NEWS FROM  
THE HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER, September 9, 1992; Keith Bradsher,  
"Gephardt Criticizes Trade Pact," NEW YORK TIMES, September 10,  
1992, p. C1; Peter Truell, "Gephardt Calls for Rewriting of Trade Pact,"  
WALL STREET JOURNAL, September 10, 1992, p. A2. 
____________________________________________________ 
CANADA PROMOTES NAFTA, RELEASES POLL 

The Canadian government has begun a campaign to increase support  
for NAFTA.  The government will spend C$3.1 million on a  
nationwide media campaign to promote the treaty.  The campaign  
kicked off last week with an advertising supplement in major  
newspapers.  The advertisement included a statement from Trade  
Minister Michael Wilson claiming, "The North American Free Trade  
Agreement secures for us access to the world's wealthiest and largest  
free trade area, at a time when our major competitors are moving  
rapidly toward greater economic integration."   

The government released a survey showing support for the free  
trade deal at 41 percent in August, up from 29 percent in March.   
However, only 14 percent of those supporting NAFTA said they  
strongly support it.    Of the 53 percent of the respondents opposed  
to NAFTA, 35 percent said they were strongly against it.  Seven  
percent of respondents were unsure about the agreement. 

Canada's GLOBE AND MAIL newspaper said the poll results indicate  
that support is growing for NAFTA, but the TORONTO STAR  
emphasized Canadian response to another question in the survey.   
Sixty-five percent of those questioned said they consider NAFTA  
"dangerous" because Canadians will have to compete against low- 
wage Mexican workers.  Citing that statistic and the finding that only  
29 percent of those polled accepted the federal government's view  
that NAFTA improves the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement, the  
STAR argued that there has been little change in overall opposition to  
the treaty since March.  

Source: Robert Kozak, "Canada Launches Campaign to Sell Free Trade  
Pact," REUTER, September 8, 1992; Drew Fagan, "Support for NAFTA  
Growing, Poll Says," GLOBE AND MAIL, September 5, 1992, p. B6;  
"Trade Deal 'Dangerous,' 65% Say," TORONTO STAR, September 5,  
1992. 
_________________________________________________________ 
CUSTOMS OFFICIALS TO MEET OVER NAFTA 

Customs officials from Canada, the United States and Mexico will  
meet October 2 to develop common guidelines and regulations in  
cross-border transactions in light of the North American Free Trade  
Agreement.  The meeting in Minneapolis will focus on establishing  
automatic cargo clearance programs on the U.S. northern and  
southern borders. 

Under the terms of the treaty, customs services will be responsible  
for resolving some trade disputes and deciding whether companies  
meet origin rules that determine if products qualify for preferential  
treatment. 

The U.S. Customs Service and a coalition of business groups are  
urging the Senate Finance Committee to protect the Customs  
Modernization Act from a presidential veto by separating it from a  
trade package.  Without the bill, proponents argue, the most  
extensive reorganization of the agency in decades will fail and  
impede efforts to deal with increased global trade and cross border  
transactions.  The bill provides the legal basis for the agency's  
extensive automated cargo processing programs and sets new  
policies for cargo seizures. 

Source: Tim Shorrock, "North American Customs Officials to Meet Oct.  
2 on Trade Accord," JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, September 4, 1992, p.  
1B; Tim Shorrock, "Senate Committee Pressed to Protect Customs  
Measure," JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, September 4, 1992, p. 1A. 

[...]

_________________________________________________________ 
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