And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Per a previous article distributed a few days ago. The World Trade Organization backed by US based transnational corporations are gaining ground in the world market by eliminating the ability of sovereign nations to determine their own markets. Canada and Great Britain had both protested forced imports of hormone treated beef, Canada attempted to ban genetically altered food products including milk. With the ruling below, free choice is once again subjugated to US financial interests. reference: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1527/text4.html Ish U.S. wins banana ruling http://cnnfn.com/worldbiz/wires/9904/06/banana_wg/ Washington gets go-ahead to impose 100% tariffs on $200M of EU imports CNNfn special report -- Trade: the next crisis? April 6, 1999: 11:18 p.m. ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday called the World Trade Organization's decision on European Union banana import rules a major victory that could set a precedent in other trade disputes, including the EU ban on hormone-treated beef. U.S. trade officials said a WTO arbitration panel agreed with the United States that new EU banana import rules violate international trade laws. But the panel significantly lowered the amount of sanctions sought by Washington in the case. U.S. Trade Representative special negotiator Peter Scher said the WTO decision clears the way for the United States to impose 100 percent tariffs on $191.4 million worth of imports from the European Union. The United States originally claimed $520 million in lost trade due to EU banana rules. "We view this as a major victory for the WTO dispute settlement system," Scher said in a telephone conference with reporters. "This demonstrates that there are time limits that must be respected and if countries don't come into compliance at the end of a reasonable time period, then they have to pay the price." The United States had charged the EU rules, which took effect in January, failed to comply with earlier WTO decisions against EU banana import regulations, and that EU policies favored former European colonies in the Caribbean over Latin American producers, and European distributors over U.S. companies. Scher said the latest WTO decision also sets important precedents for other agriculture trade disputes with the European Union, particularly a ruling against an EU ban on U.S. beef treated with growth hormones. He said it also would set an important precedent in a separate dispute with Canada over magazines. "I think it has a very clear message for beef hormones and a very clearly message for Canada magazines and other countries and that is that the WTO dispute settlement system has teeth," Scher said. In a statement, U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky said she hoped the EU would change its banana import regime to make it WTO consistent rather than accept the 100 percent import duties. "As before, we are prepared to work with the EU on a new banana regime that meets the requirements of the WTO and allows banana producing countries in the Caribbean to continue to export bananas," Barshefsky said. Scher said the U.S. Trade Representative's Office would publish in the next few days a list of goods that will be subject to the 100 percent tariffs, which will be effective retroactively to March 3. Those goods will be taken from a list -- ranging from Scottish cashmere sweaters to Italian pecorino cheese -- published earlier in the dispute. linked to: http://cnnfn.com/worldbiz/9903/05/trade_europe/index.htm Bigger beefs lie ahead The banana dispute between Europe and the U.S. is only the beginning Special Report - Trade: The next crisis? March 5, 1999: 3:31 p.m. ET LONDON (CNNfn) - Has the world gone bananas? The slippery yellow fruit is at the heart of a multibillion dollar argument between Europe and the U.S. that threatens to destabilize the entire world trade system. It's not likely to end there, either. The European Union's banana dispute with the United States has rumbled on for years, with U.S. officials growling about imposing sanctions and EU representatives attempting to have U.S. measures thrown out. "This is the first dispute to have gone this far," a person close to the talks told CNNfn.com, "the system is being tested for the first time, and these governments are in new legal waters." There are plenty of other bones of contention however, and the banana case could be just the first of many to upset relations across the Atlantic in the coming months. Another trade beef on the radar At present some 70 disputes are being mediated by the World Trade Organization in Geneva. A U.S.-EU dispute over hormone-treated beef is just a few weeks away, and the issue of genetically modified food is almost certain to cause a fight. A U.S. ban on Concorde, the supersonic jet, is also in the pipeline. "There's a lot of concern over the beef hormones issue," the source warned, "it could give rise to a dispute along the lines of bananas." The banana case could be the spark that really ignites the fireworks, however. Both sides have taken entrenched positions, and the WTO mediators seem unable to find a consensus path out of the maze of arguments. WTO boss Renato Ruggiero, with only eight weeks left in his stint as head of the trade organization, called on both parties to act in a "positive spirit". &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
