-Caveat Lector- Thursday, June 3, 1999 Published at 13:10 GMT 14:10 UK WTO approves US sanctions WTO approves US sanctions The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has approved an American request to impose sanctions on the European Union in response to its ban on hormone-treated beef. But a meeting of the WTO dispute settlement body also agreed to a European request for a neutral arbitration panel to study the amount due to the US and Canada. This panel will report back in the middle of July, so delaying the implementation of sanctions. Under its rules the WTO was compelled to agree to both requests. Ian Wilkinson, deputy head of the EU trade mission, said: "We think (the sanctions) exceeds by a long way any legitimate loss." The US wants to impose 100% duties against $202m worth of imports from the EU, the amount of trade it says it has lost because of the 11-year-old ban. Cancer risk The EU says the true damage caused by its ban on imports of beef from cattle treated with hormones is less than half the amount Washington claims. Long-running efforts to reach a compromise between the two sides have failed. While the Americans say there is no health risk, the EU maintains that some of the hormones may cause cancer. It is conducting further scientific studies on their safety. Meanwhile, it has refused to lift the ban, even though the WTO has ruled it is illegal. Chewing gum Canada also plans sanctions on trade worth $51m, the amount it claims to have lost as a result of the ban on exports to European Union countries of its hormone-treated beef. The WTO will rule on both sanctions requests seperately. Washington has not yet named the final products, but a preliminary list included canned hams, pork, beef and poultry, various tomato products, Roquefort cheese, truffles, onions, chestnuts, paprika, goose liver, chewing gum, chocolate and mineral water. Rita Hayes, the US ambassador to the WTO, said: "The final list of sanctions will not be drawn up until we receive WTO authorisation." Hormones are widely used in US agriculture, with more than 90% of American cattle producers feeding them to their cattle to make them grow faster and bigger. In 1989 the US promised to export only hormone-free beef to Europe because of the EU's ban. However earlier this year EU experts discovered that some of the US beef labelled 'hormone-free' did in fact contain banned growth hormones. A similar set of sanctions from the US on European exports has already been imposed as a result of another long-running trade dispute, over banana quotas. The failure to reach a compromise is a further blow to the leaderless WTO, which was set up with the aim of smoothing out global trade disputes without the need for tit-for-tat sanctions. - - DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
