From [email protected] Fri Jan  3 00:56:13 1997
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1996 14:26:56 -0800 (PST)
From: IATP <[email protected]>
To: Recipients of conference <[email protected]>
Subject: Trade News 3-20-96

TRADE NEWS
Produced by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
March 20, 1996
Volume 5, Number 6
________________________________________
- SINGAPORE CALLS FOR NEW TRADE ROUND
- TALKS START OVER LATIN BANANAS
- U.S. OFFERS TO OPEN TELECOM MARKET
- BUSINESS WILL PARTICIPATE IN APEC MEETING
- PORK PRODUCERS CHARGE  DISCRIMINATION
- U.S. TRADE DEFICIT HITS RECORD IN 1995
________________________________________
WTO NEWS SUMMARY
________________________________________

SINGAPORE CALLS FOR NEW TRADE ROUND

On February 22, Singapore's international trade minister
called on members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to
launch preparations for a new round of global trade
liberalization talks at the first ministerial meeting of the
WTO in Singapore in December 1996. Yeo Cheow said the new
round could embrace the "built-in agenda" of the WTO as
negotiated in the Uruguay Round, which calls for preparations
for new negotiations in the services and agricultural
sectors. He also pointed out that the Uruguay Round
agreements call for a review of the investment, intellectual
property rights and dispute settlement provisions, as well as
the most-favored-nation (MFN) exemption in the General
Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). According to Yeo, a
new round of negotiations would give stronger impetus to
liberalization because it would allow trade-offs among
parties to the negotiation.

"Singapore Trade Minister Calls for New Round Based on WTO
Agenda," INSIDE U.S. TRADE, March 1, 1996.

TALKS START OVER LATIN BANANAS

On March 14, European Union (EU) officials began talks with
four Latin American countries and the United States on ending
EU import restrictions on so-called "dollar" bananas. But
Latin American diplomats said they had little hope the
meetings would produce any movement, or head off the eventual
formation of a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute
settlement panel. U.S. officials said they were hopeful that
the consultations could produce results. However, they
indicated they shared the view of the Latin American banana
producers involved in the dispute -- Guatemala, Honduras,
Mexico and Ecuador -- that it would have to go to the WTO for
arbitration. The EU's banana import regime limits the amount
of Latin American bananas that can be sold in the EU market
in order to help banana producers in the African, Caribbean
and Pacific (APC) group states. The majority of APC countries
are former European colonies.

Robert Evans, "EU Starts Talks with U.S., Latins Over Banana
Row," REUTERS, March 14, 1996.

U.S. OFFERS TO OPEN TELECOM MARKET

On February 26, the United States offered to open its entire
telecommunications market, including local services, to
unrestricted foreign competition in a bid to accelerate
progress toward an international telecommunications deal.
However, deputy U.S. trade representative Jeffrey Lang said
success in the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations,
due to end April 30, required other nations to follow the
U.S. example with their own improved offers.

The revised U.S. offer grants unrestricted access to local
U.S. telecommunications services, as well as long distance
and international traffic. The previous offer proposed only
to maintain existing access rules for local services, which
vary by state. Lang said the change signaled Washington's
intention to "roll back" current restrictions on competition
at the local level, in line with the new U.S.
telecommunications law signed by President Clinton in
February. The revised U.S. offer also clarifies proposals on
foreign ownership of "common carrier" radio licenses often
needed to supply basic telecommunications services.
Washington is offering up to 100 percent foreign ownership of
these licenses, provided ownership or control is exercised
through a U.S. based holding company.

Lang stressed that the U.S. offer is contingent on agreement
by a "critical mass" of WTO members to grant foreign access
to their telecommunications markets and to give overseas
competitors equal treatment with domestic firms. The United
States has not defined this "critical mass," but it is said
to be aimed at Japan and Latin American nations.

"WTO Telecoms Deadline Stays," FINANCIAL TIMES, February 28,
1996; Francis Williams, "U.S. Offers Full Access to Telecoms
Market," FINANCIAL TIMES, February 27, 1996.

________________________________________
REGIONAL AGREEMENTS
________________________________________

BUSINESS WILL PARTICIPATE IN APEC MEETING

U.S. and other business leaders will get a chance this year
to participate more directly in the annual meeting of the 18-
member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. For
the first time, President Clinton and other national leaders
at the APEC summit will confer with business executives, said
Tomas Alcantara, a special APEC envoy for the Philippine
government, which will chair the November 22-25 meeting in
Manila.

Business executives from the 18 APEC nations have met with
each other at previous summits but without the chance of a
"direct dialogue" with government leaders. According to
Alcantara, this time business leaders and high government
officials will sit at the same table.

Richard Lawrence, "Business Leaders to Participate Directly
in Next APEC Meeting," JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, March 8, 1996.

PORK PRODUCERS CHARGE DISCRIMINATION

Last month, U.S. pork producers told U.S. trade
representative Mickey Kantor that the European Union (EU) is
violating a 1992 agreement to open its markets to imports
from the United States. Meat industry officials are charging
that European bureaucrats are abusing health and safety rules
to fend off foreign competition.

Under the 1992 agreement, the EU and the United States were
supposed to work out differences in health and safety rules
that have stood in the way of certification for U.S.
slaughterhouses to export pork to the EU. At that time, the
EU accepted the idea that U.S. rules could be different but
still equivalent to European standards. But little progress
has been made in working out the details of the agreement.
The National Pork Producers Council claims its members are
losing $60 million a year in exports to the EU market, where
pork consumption is the highest in the world.

John Maggs, "U.S. Pork Producers to Kantor: EU Market Is Far
>From Open," JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, March 4, 1996.

________________________________________
WORLD TRADE ROUND-UP
________________________________________

U.S. TRADE DEFICIT HITS RECORD IN 1995

The U.S. merchandise trade deficit climbed last year to a
record $174 billion, as exports and imports hit all time
highs of $575 billion and $749 billion respectively. Pacing
U.S. exports gains were capital goods, agricultural products
and industrial supplies. Semiconductors scored the biggest
dollar advance, up nearly $9 billion to $34.1 billion. Other
sizable gains were in computer accessories,
telecommunications gear, industrial machines, automotive
products, chemicals, textiles, plastics, pulpwood, grains,
soybeans and meat. Imports were up 12 percent from 1994. The
biggest advances were in two high-tech items: semiconductors,
up nearly $13 billion, and computer accessories, which posted
a $10.5 billion gain. Crude oil imports rose by $4.3 billion.
Smaller but still significant gains came in apparel,
chemicals, industrial machines and electric apparatus.

Richard Lawrence, "U.S. Trade Deficit Hits High; Drop
Forecast," JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, February 29, 1996.

________________________________________
RESOURCES
________________________________________

THE BRETTON WOODS-GATT SYSTEM: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT
AFTER FIFTY YEARS, edited by Orin Kirshner, Institute for
Agriculture and Trade Policy. This book provides twenty-one
articles about the international economic regime created in
the post-war period. The issues covered include currency
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economic organizations have the strengths and weaknesses that
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$24.95 (paperback, ISBN # 1-56324-630-9).

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designed to assist Third World farmers to find customers for
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and to help them obtain a fair price for their exports. A
hardback edition of this book is for sale in OECD countries
for 40 (sterling). An inexpensive softback edition (12
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To order the hardcover contact: Kogan Page, Ltd, 120
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__________________________________________
Trade News is produced by the Institute for Agriculture
and Trade Policy, Mark Ritchie, President. Editor: Orin
Kirshner. E-mail versions of Trade News are available
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