At 04:47 PM 7/20/01 +1200 K.Feete wrote:
>As far as the Seattle protests go, though it wasn't documented in the
>conventional media, the protesters wanted an end to WTO talks that would
>prevent "trade barriers" being put into place by any country for goods
>the country might consider undesirable for a "non-trade" reason. This
>includes tariffs on or banning of genetically engineered food or (the
>minor one that got a lot of press) the labelling of fish as
>"dolphin-free." Basically it says the consumers are on their own.
So, in other words, because a certain proposal that doesn't have
particularly wide-spread support is on the table, we are going to shut-down
the meeting.
The European Union was never going to agree to wholesale importation of
*all* GM foods. Dolphin-free tuna is so widespread and accepted, it isn't
going anywhere.
Meanwhile, of course, countries like the United States continue to use all
sorts of reasons to just not import all the goods produced by the poorest
countries in the world, particularly food and raw materials - leaving them
impoverished.
>I have to wonder about this. Does this mean, for example, that the US
>couldn't boycott China for human rights abuses? (Not that they would.)
>And if so, how is the continuing trade embargo on Cuba justified?
Cuba is not a member of the WTO, so it is not party to the agreement.
Secondly, the United States would still be perfectly free to boycott China.
The WTO Rules simply state that if you break the WTO agreement on
reducing trade barriers, then the affected country has a "right" to impose
a similar set of restrictions on you.
Thus, the worst thing the WTO can do is this. If Europe agrees to import
GM food from the United States without tariffs, and then reneges and
imposes tariffs on GM foods, then the WTO says that the US has a right to,
say, impose a tariff on something else, like European cars.
Sure, its sort of like two wrongs making a right, which *is*
self-destructive, but its hoped that this sort of fear of retribution will
help keep countries honest in abiding by the agreements they sign.
JDG
__________________________________________________________
John D. Giorgis - [EMAIL PROTECTED] - ICQ #3527685
We are products of the same history, reaching from Jerusalem and
Athens to Warsaw and Washington. We share more than an alliance.
We share a civilization. - George W. Bush, Warsaw, 06/15/01
