From: harelb@MATH.CORNELL.EDU (Harel Barzilai)
Newsgroups: alt.activism,misc.headlines,talk.politics.misc,talk.environment,alt.save.the.earth
Subject: GATT NEWS 8/18 -- ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS SAY MTO MUST CHANGE
Date: 20 Aug 92 03:53:05 GMT
Organization: misc.activism.progressive on UseNet ; ACTIV-L@UMCVMB

[Via misc.activism.progressive from PeaceNet's trade.news]
Topic 145       TRADE.NEWS 8-18-92 
kmander Updates on GATT & NAFTA Negotiations    12:26 pm  Aug 18, 1992 
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TRADE NEWS BULLETIN 
Tuesday, August 18, 1992 
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ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS SAY MTO MUST CHANGE 

International environmental groups are declaring that if the  
proposed Multilateral Trade Organization (MTO) is not amended  
to include environmental concerns, it should be scrapped  
altogether.  The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) argues that  
the MTO contradicts the EC's Maastricht treaty, which states an  
objective to promote "sustainable and non-inflationary growth  
respecting the environment."  The MTO, which would implement  
the accords established in the Uruguay Round of GATT,  
continues to emphasize free trade over the environment, and  
fails to honor environmental commitments made at the Earth  
Summit in June, according to WWF's Charles Arden-Clarke. 

The WWF wants the MTO to include objectives stating: a  
commitment to sustainable development; recognition and  
assessment of the environmental impact of trade measures;  
creation of a standing committee on trade and the environment;  
and consultation rights for environmental groups in trade  
negotiations.   

Arden-Clarke said his organization would support MTO "so long  
as the new organization is equitable, transparent,  
democratically accountable, and if it recognizes the limits  
imposed on free trade by the need for environmental protection  
and sustainable development." 

Source:  Frances Williams, "Protest At Lack of Green Measures  
for Trade Body," FINANCIAL TIMES, August 18, 1992, p. 3. 
_________________________________________________________ 
RICE SHORTAGE COULD END JAPAN'S IMPORT BAN 

A rice shortage in Japan has led some manufacturers of rice  
crackers, miso, sake and other foods and beverages to  
reconsider the country's ban on rice imports.  The shortage has  
hardly affected consumers, but it has more than doubled the  
price Japanese companies must pay for rice.  Japan's Agriculture  
Ministry made available 30,000 tons of high-quality rice from  
its stockpile in hopes of sustaining the companies until the next  
harvest this fall. 

Japan has so far steadfastly refused to allow rice imports as  
part of the Uruguay Round of GATT talks because of the cultural  
significance of Japanese rice farmers.  

Source: Andrew Pollack, "A Rice-Short Japan Reconsiders the  
Tradition of Banning Imports," NEW YORK TIMES, August 18,  
1992, p. 1.  
Gluten Dispute," JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, August 17, 1992, p. 1. 
_________________________________________________________ 
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 
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