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News archives

Friday, July 29, 2005

CAFTA Passage May Hurt Other Deals
CAFTA passage may hurt other deals Supporters of CAFTA-DR celebrated its passage. However, the partisan fight could endanger other free-trade pacts. BY pbachelet@herald.com WASHINGTON - After the House early Thursday passed a trade agreement with five Central American countries and the Dominica... Continued...

CAFTA Divides Ag Interests
Upper Midwest agriculture groups remained divided on the Central American Free Trade Agreement Thursday, splintered between potential winners and losers the day after CAFTA cleared the U.S. House of Representatives by a two-vote margin. Minnesota's sugarbeet growers and their cooperatives, often ... Continued...

Cafta Vote Clouds Prospects For Other Trade Deals
Congressional approval of a trade pact with six small Central American countries nudged forward the Bush administration's free-trade agenda. But the close vote and bitter fight underscored anxiety about the pace of globalization and clouded prospects for approval of future deals. The 217-215 Hous... Continued...

Lamy Announces His Four Deputy Directors-General
Director-General Designate Pascal Lamy today informed the General Council of the four people he has chosen to be his deputy directors-general. Mr. Lamy, who assumes office on 1 September, told the General Council in a statement that he has selected Alejandro Jara of Chile, Valentine Rugwabiza o... Continued...

How Cafta Passed House by 2 Votes
WASHINGTON, July 28 - It was just before midnight on Wednesday when Representative Robin Hayes capitulated. Mr. Hayes, a Republican whose district in North Carolina has lost thousands of textile jobs in the last four years, had defied President Bush and House Republican leaders by voting against ... Continued...

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Trade Pact Approved By House
GOP Struggles to Eke Out 217-215 Victory on CAFTA The House narrowly approved the Central American Free Trade Agreement this morning, delivering a hard-fought victory to President Bush while underscoring the nation's deep divisions over trade. The 217 to 215 vote came just after midnight, in a... Continued...

Passage of DR-CAFTA Bad News for Farmers
Minnesota and Central American Farmers Stand to Lose Minneapolis - The passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in the U.S. House of Representatives late last night signals a major setback for U.S. sugar farmers and a damaging blow to Central American farmers, said the Institut... Continued...

Statement of Lori Wallach on CAFTA Final Vote in the House of Representatives
The CAFTA vote became a highly politicized referendum on whether President Bush would be made a lame duck, but the CAFTA debate makes clear that a dramatic shift in U.S. trade politics has occurred and the NAFTA trade model is dead. After losing the debate on the merits months ago, passing CAFTA ... Continued...

CAFTA Win Sends Mixed Signals On US Govt-Analysts
WASHINGTON () - The Bush administration's success in passing a controversial Central American trade bill should embolden it ahead of world trade talks, analysts said on Thursday -- but its credibility may be hurt by how it secured votes. The Republican-controlled House voted 217-215 in favor of t... Continued...

The Doubtful Deals Driving CAFTA
What's the connection between a $2.5 billion plan to construct a series of dams and locks along the Mississippi River and a trade agreement between the U.S. and six Central American countries? Answer: It's the price the Bush Administration paid for the vote of Senator Christopher Bond (R-Mo.) in fav... Continued...

WTO's Supachai Says Negotiators Have Missed July Targets In Trade Talks
GENEVA (AFX) - WTO director general Supachai Panitchpakdi said he is disappointed that negotiators have missed their July targets in international trade talks. 'We have not been able to meet the targets set for July. It is really disappointing,' Supachai told journalists on the sidelines of a... Continued...

Impatience Grows With Stalled Trade Round, Despite CAFTA Boost
Senior officials voiced frustration Thursday with the lack of progress in the Doha round of global trade negotiations, after WTO members missed a crucial deadline for a framework deal. The latest setback leaves little time for incoming World Trade Organization boss Pascal Lamy - who is holding in... Continued...

Alarm Bells Ringing On Trade Talks
One year ago, the World Trade Organization gave itself until July 2005 to draw up a blueprint for a new round of trade liberalization meant to help lift the world's least developed countries out of poverty. But negotiators say that rich and poor nations remain as far apart as ever. Expectations o... Continued...

Populist Commands Mexico's Spotlight
Before the sun has risen, while most public officials still slumber, a 51-year-old gap-toothed politician departs his modest flat and is driven in a late-model compact to City Hall. There, a pack of yawning journalists waits in a windowless room. At 6:35 a.m., one of them suddenly barks: "He's comin... Continued...

Group Slams the ”Iron Triangle” of Food Aid
WASHINGTON, Jul 28 (IPS) - U.S. food aid is inefficient, wasteful and designed in most cases to benefit domestic constituencies, particularly U.S.-based agribusiness firms, shipping companies and some non-governmental organisations (NGOs), more than needy people in developing countries, according to... Continued...

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

U.S. Food Aid Needs Major Reform, New Report
Current System Not Addressing Long-term Causes of Hunger Minneapolis - U.S. food aid programs are plagued by inefficiency and are not addressing the long-term causes of hunger and food insecurity in the developing world, according to a new report by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Po... Continued...

Sugar Daddy No More
Following two years of simmering controversy, the U.S. Senate last month voted to approve an international treaty opening up trade relations between the United States and the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador. As expected, the 54-45 vote fell more or les... Continued...

Small Trade Pact Becomes a Big Political Deal
WASHINGTON, July 26 - It is a small trade agreement, affecting a volume of American exports about equal to those from New Jersey. Yet as Congress rushes to begin its summer recess at the end of this week, President Bush will make a rare trip to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, seeking to prevent Repub... Continued...

Monday, July 25, 2005

Interview With Brazilian President Lula
Back to The Great Brazilian Land Grab Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was interviewed via email by Richard C. Morais. Forbes: Based on the tenor of the conversations at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year, and the Doha round of negotiations unfolding, Brazil is in... Continued...

The Doubtful Deals Driving CAFTA
What's the connection between a $2.5 billion plan to construct a series of dams and locks along the Mississippi River and a trade agreement between the U.S. and six Central American countries? Answer: It's the price the Bush Administration paid for the vote of Senator Christopher Bond (R-Mo.) in fav... Continued...

Thursday, July 21, 2005

EU States Furious At Sugar Reform Plans
EU COMMISSION plans to radically reform the sugar regime met with stern opposition when they were debated for the first time by the EU's 25 farm ministers in Brussels this week. Seven member states were said to be "strongly against" the proposals, which seek to cut sugar surpluses by a 43% beet p... Continued...

Bush Makes Push For Free Trade Deal With Central America, Dominican Republic
President George W. Bush pushed hard Thursday to win support for the free trade deal with Central America and the Dominican Republic, which Congress is to vote on next week. Known as CAFTA-DR, it is Bush's most ambitious project involving Latin America at the moment. It also faces stiff oppos... Continued...

WTO Chief Sounds Alarm About Global Trade Talks
The director general of the World Trade Organisation, Supachai Panitchpakdi, sounded the alarm on Thursday about global trade talks underway here, urging trading nations to step up the pace. "I have said before that my finger was hovering over the alarm button. Now I have pressed it," Supachai to... Continued...

Hong Kong Police Taking Measures To Prevent Violence At December WTO Meeting
Police, fearing violent protests by radical groups during the December WTO talks, insist on partially sealing off sections of Wan Chai. "Our intelligence shows it is likely some people will take radical action. That's why we are taking this measure," director of operations Yam Tat-wing said. H... Continued...

Why The House Should Vote Against CAFTA
Your latest pro-CAFTA editorial ("Harvesting votes for CAFTA," July 11) is unpersuasive. Sure you make wildly optimistic but unsupported projections about the jobs that will be created and farm products that will be exported. But U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.) and other Democrats know better... Continued...

Administration Trying to Build CAFTA Majority Vote by Vote
At a closed-door meeting of House Republicans yesterday, Rep. Bill Thomas (Calif.) sidled up to the lectern and hinted that the leadership might look more favorably on lawmakers' requests for highways and bridges if they vote for the Central American Free Trade Agreement, according to three GOP witn... Continued...

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

WTO Activists Warn Of 'Angry' Protestors If Unable To Express Views
HONG KONG (AFX) - Hong Kong People's Alliance Against the WTO, the co-ordination group for thousands of global protesters expected here, said demonstrators could grow angry unless they are given somewhere to express their views. 'I am worried that if the demonstrators from all over the world fee... Continued...

USDA Farmbill Forums
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced the location of the next three USDA Farm Bill Forums before a full-capacity audience of more than 400 stakeholders who attended the kick-off of USDA's nationwide farm bill listening tour in Nashville, TN. The next three forums will be: -- July 26 - 1... Continued...

Riot Video Drives Home Dangers Of WTO Meet
Riot video drives home dangers of WTO meet July 20, 2005 Video footage of rioting crowds at Seattle's 1999 WTO meeting, the 2003 summit in Cancun, Mexico, and the recent G8 Summit in Scotland was shown to Legislative Council members by police Tuesday to make lawmakers awar... Continued...

Civil Society Groups Voice Concerns Over GATS Talks At WTO
More than 160 civil society organizations from around the world have sent a letter to WTO ambassadors in Geneva expressing their deep concerns regarding the current round of negotiations on the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), which is part of the 'single undertaking' under the July 20... Continued...

Back WTO Or Farm Subsidies Go On, U.S. Tells Africa
DAKAR - The United States has told African nations they must await a global trade deal before Washington will cut farm export subsidies, warning that failure at WTO talks in December could see subsidies extended for years. A meeting in Senegal's capital Dakar with the 37 countries eligible for tr... Continued...

HK To Facilitate NGO's Peaceful Activities At WTO Conference
As the host of the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in this December, the Hong Kong government said Monday it will facilitate non-governmental organizations' peaceful activities while ensuring public order and the conference's smooth conduct. The assurance was given... Continued...

Progress On Farm Talks In WTO Elusive So Far: Menon
New Delhi, July. 19 (PTI): India today said progress on agriculture negotiations in the WTO had remained elusive so far as developed countries had not adequately responded to the concerns of developing nations. "Progress has eluded us since there is insufficient, and for the most part only spora... Continued...

Monday, July 18, 2005

China Must Play Active Role For WTO Talks To Succeed, Says EU
China must play an active role for negotiations at the World Trade Organization’s ministerial meeting in December to succeed, European Commission President Jose Barroso said. China will be a major beneficiary of successful talks and must address concerns around the world that its economy threatens o... Continued...

Thursday, July 14, 2005

New Report: The Race to the Bottom - From NAFTA to CAFTA
NLC Releases Explosive New Reports: Alcoa, Lear & Yazaki Companies Pit Auto Parts Workers in Mexico Against Cheaper Labor in Honduras & Nicaragua Action Needed: Tell Your Member of Congress How You Feel About CAFTA You can read the reports & write your Congressperson from the NLC website: www... Continued...

House Republicans See Late July CAFTA Approval
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives will approve a trade agreement with Central America before the end of July, Republican leaders predicted on Thursday despite strong opposition from Democrats to the pact. ``Two weeks from now we will have just voted, successfully I'm convin... Continued...

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

U.S. Lawmakers Say Chinese Support For Unocal Bid Might Violate WTO Rules
Two U.S. senators have asked American trade officials to look into whether Beijing's financial support for CNOOC Ltd.'s bid to buy Unocal Corp. violates World Trade Organization rules. Senators Kent Conrad and Jim Bunning said financing provided by Chinese state-owned banks for the bid is a direc... Continued...

Sugar Industry Wary Of Thailand Talks
Less than two weeks ago, sugar growers suffered a major defeat when the Senate approved the Central American Free Trade Agreement, which the industry opposed. Now the administration is negotiating a new trade deal with Thailand - one of the world's leading sugar exporters. The industry is keepin... Continued...

Monday, July 11, 2005

South Korean Farmers Plan WTO Protest in Hong Kong
SEOUL - A top South Korean farmers' group plans to send 1,000 protesters to Hong Kong in December when the World Trade Organization meets to agree on changes for agriculture and industrial goods, an official said on Sunday. The global trade body aims to complete this round of trade talks, known ... Continued...

Activists Plan Marches For Hong Kong WTO Summit
Anti-capitalist protesters will stage three major marches in Hong Kong when the Chinese territory hosts the next ministerial summit of the World Trade Organisation, activists said Monday. But they fear the police's lack of preparation could inflame anger among the demonstrators, sparking the sort... Continued...

China, US Open Annual Trade Talks With Agreements Expected
China and the United States opened annual high-level trade talks Monday with an agreement expected on a wide range of thorny issues including intellectual property, aviation and petrochemicals, officials said. Attending the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) from the US side are Trade ... Continued...

Provider Of HIV/AIDS Medical Care Lauds U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman's Stand On CAFTA
AIDS advocates from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), a provider of HIV/AIDS medical care to thousands of patients in the U.S., Africa, Central America and Asia, hailed Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) for the release of his new report on CAFTA. The report details how the pending Central Americ... Continued...

Agricultural Issues To Dominate WTO Informal Ministerial Meet
DALIAN (CHINA), Commerce Ministers from over 30 countries, including India, will brain-storm here next week in a bid to reach consensus on five core areas, mainly agriculture and services, ahead of the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the WTO to he held in Hong Kong in December. The two-day meetin... Continued...

Seawater Supply To Push Up Prices
SYDNEYSIDERS will pay up to 50 per cent more for water under a $1.5billion plan by the state Government to build a desalination plant supplying as much as 15 per cent of the city's drinking water. NSW Premier Bob Carr was due to release the location and details of the development -- to be built e... Continued...

Unocal Won't Be the Last, So Set the Rules Now
The U.S. is one of the world's most ardent cheerleaders for the benefits of free trade. But you wouldn't know it from the protectionist howls coming out of Washington after the $18.5 billion bid by China's state-controlled CNOOC Ltd. for Unocal Corp.. While American apprehension over China's bold mo... Continued...

Supachai: WTO Needs A Breakthrough
THE World Trade Organisation (WTO) needs a breakthrough at the ministerial meeting in Hong Kong at the end of this year for a new trade agreement by next year. Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, WTO director-general, told journalists at the WTO headquarters in Geneva that the "Hong Kong meeting is cruc... Continued...

CAFTA Isn't the Answer; Accord Won't Really Help American Tech Workers
In a refreshing bit of global discontent, those folks chanting, "Down, down, U.S.A." in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, recently weren't angry about war in the Middle East. They were upset about MCI, Nortel, Sprint, Dell and the Business Software Alliance. Not to mention rice, beans, sugar and sweatshops.... Continued...

Friday, July 8, 2005

Health Fears Curb Beef Process
Washington, D.C. - The chances of eating a burger or hot dog that contains a bit of spinal tissue has gone down. After pressure from regulators, activists and restaurants, fewer meatpackers are using a mechanical deboning process that consumer activists say risks spreading mad cow disease. The... Continued...

Thursday, July 7, 2005

First Annual Meeting of UNCTAD's Virtual Institute
Universities can play a key role in promoting informed trade policy through training, research and policy advice. Helping universities to carry out this function is important for ensuring that countries have the capacity to benefit from trade. Recognizing this role, UNCTAD will host the first ann... Continued...

Fair Trade Fairs in Berne & Hong Kong
We invite you to have a look at our updated homepage: See http://www.gersterconsulting.ch/fs/fs_main.asp?img=1. You will find new trade related information: Fair Trade Fair in Berne, Switzerland, on August 31, 2005: A unique coalition of Claro Fair Trade Ltd., COOP, Max Havelaar Switzerland, Migr... Continued...

Wednesday, July 6, 2005

G8 Summit : Ngos See Clouds Over Gleneagles
GLENEAGLES - This week's summit of the Group of Eight leading industrial powers is set to fall short of the response needed to tackle global poverty, says the non-governmental organisation War on Want. The London-based anti-poverty group released calculations on the eve of the G8 summit Tuesday ... Continued...

Challenge The Legitimacy Of The G8 And Their Free-Market Model, And Create A Better World.
The problems of extreme poverty, inequality and environmental degradation are the most serious facing the world today. But the policies which the G8 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, UK, USA) have followed to date have made things worse rather than better, empowering global c... Continued...

Tuesday, July 5, 2005

Brazil Asks WTO to Allow U.S. Penalties
GENEVA (AP) -- Brazil said Tuesday it was asking the World Trade Organization for permission to penalize the United States for its failure to comply with a WTO ruling against U.S. subsidies for cotton growers. ''We are asking for retaliation,'' Paulo Mesquita, Brazil's deputy trade negotiator to ... Continued...

Hong Kong NGO Registration for WTO
Now on the WTO website: La version française de ce message apparaît après la version anglaise La versión española de este mensaje viene después de la versión francesa IMPORTANT NEW INFORMATION - NGO REGISTRATION HONG KONG On 28 and 29 June 2005, the on-line NGO registration faced technical pro... Continued...

Friday, July 1, 2005

Feds Could Buy CAFTA Sugar For Making Ethanol
There are legitimate questions surrounding what the Senate-approved Central American Free Trade Agreement would do to the Nebraska ethanol and sugar industries. Would CAFTA ultimately help or hurt them? It certainly would clear the way for more ethanol to be imported into the U.S. It also ra... Continued...