TRADE NEWS BULLETIN Volume II Number 11 Wednesday, January 20, 1993 _________________________________________________________ GATT News Summary _________________________________________________________ DUNKEL, EC PUSH FOR SPEEDY GATT CONCLUSION Arthur Dunkel, director-general of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, told a top-level committee that Uruguay Round talks must be completed in the near future or they risk failure after over six years of negotiations. Dunkel and other GATT supporters repeated yesterday their eagerness to complete talks prior to the March expiration of U.S. fast-track negotiating authority. "To succeed, we must conclude now or run the risk of drifting into the sands," Dunkel told the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC). Dunkel said the majority of GATT countries were willing to accept his 1991 draft proposal and that the United States and European Community deserved much of the blame for delaying the round. Dunkel told the committee, "The largest trading entities which have benefited most from the system have not so far, for various reasons, provided the leadership for the end game." Textiles, intellectual property, services and market access issues are just some of the areas that need additional work. EC officials made it clear they too are eager to complete the talks. Chief EC negotiator Hugo Paemen told the TNC the Community was ready to accept a deal "within its present parameters." New EC Trade Commissioner Leon Brittan declared the EC-US agreement on agriculture trade would not be renegotiated despite strong opposition from France. Brittan said he would like to meet with new U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor and urged the Clinton Administration to seek a speedy conclusion to the talks. "We aim to reach agreement within the U.S. fast-track procedure," Brittan told reporters. Australian Trade Minister Gareth Evans met with Brittan Monday. Evans said the remaining differences are small and that a GATT pact is possible by March. Source: Frances Williams, "End GATT Talks, Says Dunkel," FINANCIAL TIMES, January 20, 1993, p. 3;"EC Seeking GATT Accord Within Fast-Track Deadline," REUTER, January 19, 1993; "EC Urges Quick Conclusion to GATT Talks Before U.S. Fast-Track Expires," UPI, January 19, 1993; "Australia Says Broad GATT Deal Possible By March 2," REUTER, January 19, 1993. _________________________________________________________ KANTOR EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT EC-US FARM DEAL The Senate Finance Committee unanimously recommended Mickey Kantor for United States Trade Representative, forwarding his nomination to the full U.S. Senate for confirmation. In testimony before the committee, Kantor said he was "deeply concerned" about the US-European Community agriculture accord under GATT. Kantor said he would "look carefully" at the November 19 deal, but refused to say whether he would seek renegotiation of the pact. Kantor, who has little experience in trade matters, displayed a solid grasp of some of the complexities of international trade. Kantor did not reveal many of his personal views on trade policy, but he did say he would try to open foreign markets to American products. "We will not be guided by the assumption that other nations share our commitment to free and open markets, when the real world evidence makes it clear that some do not," Kantor said. He added he would support a proposal to re-establish the Super 301 trade law, which requires the trade representative to designate countries with excessive trade barriers for possible retaliation. Source: Keith Bradsher, "Trade and Commerce Nominees Discuss Conflict of Interest," NEW YORK TIMES, January 20, 1993, p. A12; "Kantor Pledges to Open Foreign Markets as Trade Representative," REUTER, January 19, 1993; Nancy Dunne, "Kantor Voices Fears on US-EC Farm Deal," FINANCIAL TIMES, January 20, 1993, p. 3; Bob Davis, "Kantor Takes Tough Stance on Trade with Europe, Japan at Senate Hearing," WALL STREET JOURNAL, January 20, 1993, p. A2. _________________________________________________________ NAFTA News Summary _________________________________________________________ STUDY SAYS MAQUILADORAS JUST AS SAFE An article in the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH examines whether the assembly plants, or maquiladoras, along the U.S.-Mexico border endanger the health of their workers. Despite acknowledging reports of poor ventilation, few rest periods, excessive noise, unsafe machinery, long hours of assembly work and exposure to toxic chemicals and carcinogens, the article concludes Mexican women working in maquiladoras do not face greater health risks than non wage-earners or service workers in Mexico. "In light of these findings, it is perhaps time to stop treating maquiladoras as the 'ugly duckling' of the new Mexican industrialization phase," the article states. However, the writers acknowledge the results could be inaccurate because of possible selection bias "if the key informants involved in developing the sampling frame avoided listing women who perhaps feared retaliation from supervisors who opposed their participation in this study, who were hospitalized or on medical leave from their jobs, or who were feeling too stressed to participate in an intense interview." Source: Sylvia Guendelman, Monica Jasis Silberg, "The Health Consequences of Maquiladora Work: Women on the U.S. Mexican Border," AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, January 1993, p. 37. _________________________________________________________ Produced by: Kai Mander The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) 1313 Fifth Street SE, Suite #303 Minneapolis, MN 55414-1546 USA Telephone:(612)379-5980 Fax:(612)379-5982 E-Mail:kmander@igc.apc.org _________________________________________________________