2002-04-06 By the same token, Canadian and Mexican businesses can also claim that the American unfriendliness to metric is a cost burden. Forcing labellers to dual label when metric only is used in their home markets adds a cost to the product. Forcing Canada and Mexico to accommodate US sizes might also be seen as an economic burden. NAFTA's chapter 11 can work against the US too.
John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Han Maenen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, 2002-04-06 05:49 Subject: [USMA:19284] NAFTA treaty > This might seem off topic - it is about the depredations of Big Tobacco - > but it uncovers a very nasty element in the NAFTA trade agreement that > impinges on the way member states label their products and thus allows for > meddling in their internal affairs: > > "NAFTA's controversial Chapter 11 section allows foreign companies to sue > Ottawa for compensation if their investments in Canada have been hurt by > Canadian laws or regulations." > > Such claims may easily be used to stop metric-only labelling by a member > state. Is this possibly the reason why it is impossible to buy metric-only > measuring tools in Brazil as Marcus reported some time ago???? > > http://www.bigtobaccosucks.org > > If Britain were ever to join NAFTA she would soon find out how her > sovereignty might be eroded to nothingness by big companies, not by a grouop > of nations pooling their sovereignty. I think that the UKIP favours British > membership of NAFTA but of course, this party will gloss over such rules in > that agreement. > > Han > Historian of Dutch Metrication, Nijmegen, The Netherlands > > News Box > News Article > Mar 16. 2002 > Tobacco firm warns 'mild' cigarette ban > Source: Steven Chase, The Globe and Mail > > OTTAWA -- Tobacco giant Philip Morris International has warned the federal > government that Ottawa will violate NAFTA and global trade rules if it goes > ahead with a proposal to ban the use of the words "light" and "mild" on > cigarette labelling in Canada. > > A Philip Morris spokesman said the cigarette maker, which owns a significant > stake in Canada's Rothmans Benson & Hedges Inc., has not ruled out suing > Ottawa under the North American Free Trade Agreement if the ban is enacted. > > "I wouldn't rule out any options," said Mark Berlind, a lawyer with Philip > Morris Management Corp., a Philip Morris affiliate company. > > Former federal health minister Allan Rock announced last August he would > begin proceedings to ban terms such as "light" and "mild" from cigarette > labels because the words deceive smokers into believing such products are > safer. > > Mr. Rock's bid came after an effort to get tobacco companies to remove the > terms voluntarily failed. A spokesman for newly appointed Health Minister > Anne McLellan said her department is reviewing feedback from consultations > and deciding how to proceed. > > NAFTA's controversial Chapter 11 section allows foreign companies to sue > Ottawa for compensation if their investments in Canada have been hurt by > Canadian laws or regulations. > > In a submission to Ottawa about the proposed ban, Philip Morris > International, Philip Morris Cos. Inc.'s international tobacco subsidiary, > warns Canada that it considers any ban expropriation, a measure that NAFTA > rules say demands compensation. > > "Under NAFTA . . . Canada must compensate foreign investors when measures > expropriate, or are tantamount to expropriation of, investments in Canada," > the company told Ottawa. > > Mr. Berlind said Philip Morris would prefer to work with Ottawa on > regulations to govern how terms describing cigarettes are used, including > disclaimers. > > The company said tobacco firms developed low-tar yield cigarettes in the > 1970s with the encouragement of the government, a move that led to a > significant market developing for consumers who preferred the > lighter-tasting brands. > > "The ban would be tantamount to an expropriation of tobacco trademarks > containing descriptive terms, as well as of the substantial investment in > and goodwill associated with those marks and the brands they represent." > > Copyright � 2002 Bell Globemedia Interactive Inc. > > Source Links: http://www.globeandmail.com > > >
