From: harelb@MATH.CORNELL.EDU (misc.activism.progressive co-moderator)
Newsgroups: alt.activism,talk.environment,talk.politics.misc,misc.headlines,alt.save.the.earth
Subject: TRADE NEWS 8/24
Date: 27 Aug 92 18:53:11 GMT
Organization: misc.activism.progressive on UseNet ; ACTIV-L@UMCVMB

-->   FOOD SAFETY ADVOCATES CRITICAL OF NAFTA 
-->   US DAIRY GROUP DEMANDS DETAILS OF NAFTA 
-->   VILLAGE VOICE RIPS NEWSPAPERS FOR SUPPORTING NAFTA 
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[Via misc.activism.progressive from PeaceNet's trade.news]
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Topic 149       TRADE.NEWS 8-24-92 
kmander Updates on GATT & NAFTA Negotiations     2:41 pm  Aug 24, 1992 
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TRADE NEWS BULLETIN 
Monday, August 24, 1992 
_________________________________________________________ 
NAFTA News Summary 
_________________________________________________________ 
FOOD SAFETY ADVOCATES CRITICAL OF NAFTA 

NAFTA will weaken U.S. food safety legislation and allow food  
imports that do not meet U.S. standards, the U.S. Community  
Nutrition Institute (CNI) said in a statement.  Although the  
NAFTA text has not been released, CNI used a U.S. Department  
of Agriculture summary of the treaty to demonstrate how it will  
weaken health standards.  According to the USDA, NAFTA will  
uphold health standards of each country if the standards: are  
based on scientific evidence; are applied only to the extent  
necessary to protect health and the environment and; are not  
"disguised restrictions on trade." 

CNI argues "the right of citizens to adopt standards for food  
additives, pesticides, chemicals and contaminants based on  
health and environmental considerations will be conditional on  
these three criteria."  Further, CNI argues, the precise meaning  
of phrases such as "scientific evidence" and "extent necessary"  
are open for interpretation and "will be used to attack  
standards that are designed to protect health and the  
environment. 

Source: Rod Leonard, COMMUNITY NUTRITION INSTITUTE  
STATEMENT, August 20, 1992. 
_________________________________________________________ 
US DAIRY GROUP DEMANDS DETAILS OF NAFTA 

The U.S. Farmers Union Milk Marketing Cooperative (FUMMC)  
has called on the Bush Administration to release details of the  
NAFTA accord reached August 12. 

President Stewart G. Huber said FUMMC is primarily concerned  
about: loss of dairy quotas through tariffication; lowering of  
sanitary standards; inadequate rules of origin which could allow  
Mexico to buy dairy exports from outside nations and import  
them into the U.S. and; exempting the Canadian dairy market. 

Under NAFTA, Canadian marketing boards for eggs, dairy and  
poultry products are exempt from tariff reductions. 

Source:  "FUMMC Demands Full Dairy Details of NAFTA," MILK  
MATTERS, August 17, 1992, p. 1. 
_________________________________________________________ 
VILLAGE VOICE RIPS NEWSPAPERS FOR SUPPORTING NAFTA 

This week's edition of the VILLAGE VOICE sharply criticizes the  
media's handling of NAFTA's completion.  Media critic James  
Ledbetter denounces U.S. newspapers for praising NAFTA  
without actually having seen the text of the agreement.  The  
VOICE says that "every single conclusion about the treaty's  
magical effects were spoon-fed by the White House."   

The NEW YORK TIMES received most of the VOICE's ire because  
it stressed NAFTA's purported strengths while failing to take  
seriously the arguments of NAFTA opponents.   The VOICE  
objects to the TIMES' assertions that U.S. job losses would be  
more than made up by new jobs in the export industry.  The  
VOICE argues the TIMES should have reported on a study  
revealing that New York State could lose 500,000 jobs in the  
next five to 10 years as a consequence of NAFTA. 

Source: James Ledbetter, "Rough Trade," VILLAGE VOICE,  
August 25, 1992, p. 9. 
_________________________________________________________ 
Resources: 

1.  The Environmental Grantmakers Association and the  
Consultative Group on Biological Diversity have published A  
GUIDE TO TRADE AND THE ENVIRONMENT by Thomas A.  
Wathen.  The book examines the fundamental principles of free  
trade, specific trade agreements, conflicts between trade and  
the environment, as well as a whole range of other issues from  
sustainable forestry to global warming.  The 97-page book also  
provides news of what actions citizen and environmental groups  
are taking on trade, the role for foundations and a directory of  
non-governmental organizations working on trade and  
environmental issues.  For a copy, send US$7.50 ($5.00 each for  
orders of three or more) to Pam Maurath, EGA, 1290 Avenue of  
the Americas, Suite 3450, New York, NY 10104.  Phone: (212)  
373-4260. 
_________________________________________________________ 
Produced by: 
Kai Mander     
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) 
1313 Fifth Street SE, Suite #303 
Minneapolis, MN 55414-1546 USA 

TMl0phone:(612)379-5980 Fax:(612)379-5982  
E-Mail:kmander@igc.org 
_________________________________________________________ 

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