From: harelb@math.cornell.edu (Harel Barzilai)
Subject: Trade News: Mexico Farm Reps oppose NAFTA
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: ?
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 1992 04:04:41 GMT


[Via misc.activism.progressive from PeaceNet's trade.news]
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Topic 165       TRADE.NEWS 9-24-92 
kmander Updates on GATT & NAFTA Negotiations    12:06 pm  Sep 24, 1992 
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MEXICAN FARM REPRESENTATIVES OPPOSE NAFTA 

During a trip to the United States, three Mexican farm  
representatives said NAFTA would not help small farmers in Mexico.   
"In terms of agriculture, I don't think we should open our economy,  
open our borders," said Pedro Magana, a representative of Mexico's  
National Union of Autonomous Regional Farmers Organization.   
Magana argued that peasant farmers in Mexico do not support the  
agreement but that their voices have not been heard.  Big business  
had dominated the discussion of NAFTA in Mexico, Magana said. 

"It's important to say that Mexican agriculture is highly polarized  
right now," said Luis Hernandez, representing the only farmer-run  
coffee-marketing organization in Mexico.  Hernandez contended the  
agriculture supporters of NAFTA are "a few big farms with a high  
rate of productivity" while its opponents are "a lot of small family  
farms." 

The Nebraska Farmers' Union, sponsor of the six-day trip, believes the
current NAFTA text would hurt family farmers [a groud wielding
relatively little money and power over our "representatives" in
Washington] and help large agriculture companies [a group wielding
much power and money over DC, most coincidentally. --HB].

Farmers' Union spokesman John Dittrich said the purpose of bringing
the Mexican farmers to Nebraska "was to discuss a proposed treaty that
already has been approved by trade negotiators for the three countries
and to study Nebraska agriculture production techniques."

Source: Art Hovey, "Agriculture Highly Polarized, Say Mexican  
Farming Reps," LINCOLN STAR, September 21, 1992, p. 4; "2 Mexican  
Groups Criticize Trade Pact," OMAHA WORLD HERALD," September 22,  
1992. 
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GATT News Summary 
_________________________________________________________ 
US SENATORS WANT US RETALIATION AGAINST EC OILSEEDS 

A majority of U.S. senators sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative  
Carla Hills asking her to follow through on threats to place US$1  
billion worth of tariffs on EC products next week unless further  
progress is made in resolving a long-running oilseeds subsidies  
dispute. 

The letter stated, "If the GATT system is to retain credibility,  
American farmers must now see results -- in the form of reduced  
oilseeds subsidies in the EC and increased market access for U.S.  
oilseed exports.  If the EC continues to refuse to live up to its GATT  
obligations, the U.S. must take action to enforce its GATT rights."   
GATT has twice ruled that the EC subsidies regime violates GATT  
rules.  A GATT council meeting is scheduled for September 29. 

The letter, which was signed by Senate Minority Leader Robert Dole  
(R-Kansas) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Lloyd Bentsen  
(D-Texas) among others, encourages Hills to announce U.S. retaliatory  
measures on September 29 if the issue is not resolved by then.  Last  
Friday, Hills said she was still "trying to negotiate a solution" but that  
time was running out. 

Source: "US Senators Urge Action Against EC on Oilseeds," JOURNAL  
OF COMMERCE, September 22, 1992, p. 2A. 
_________________________________________________________ 
Resources: 

1.  Today's WALL STREET JOURNAL includes a special section called  
"World Business" which looks at the North American Free Trade  
Agreement as "just the first step toward a hemispheric bloc."  The  
section includes articles: "Heading South - U.S. Companies Plan Major  
Moves Into Mexico," "Keeping It Green - The Free Trade Fears of  
Environmentalists," "Lost Labor - Will the Free Trade Agreement  
Hurt U.S. Workers?" "Culture Shock - The Trauma of Doing Business  
in Mexico," "Lure of Cheap Labor" and others. 
_________________________________________________________ 
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