Homestead mailing list

["Toni Hawryluk" <tonihawr AT msn.com>]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6588963/<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6588963/>
>From tonihawr AT msn.com  Fri Nov 26 14:24:02 2004
Return-Path: <tonihawr AT msn.com>
X-Original-To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
Delivered-To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
Received: from hotmail.com (bay4-dav3.bay4.hotmail.com [65.54.170.107])
        by happyhouse.metalab.unc.edu (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9CD874C005
        for <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>; Fri, 26 Nov 2004 14:24:01 -0500 
(EST)
Received: from mail pickup service by hotmail.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC;
        Fri, 26 Nov 2004 11:24:00 -0800
Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV39145E3C9B2F7F478700CD5BA0 AT phx.gbl>
Received: from 65.54.98.162 by BAY4-DAV3.phx.gbl with DAV;
        Fri, 26 Nov 2004 19:23:47 +0000
X-Originating-IP: [65.54.98.162]
X-Originating-Email: [tonihawr AT msn.com]
X-Sender: tonihawr AT msn.com
From: "Toni Hawryluk" <tonihawr AT msn.com>
To: "Homestead mailing list" <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 11:23:44 -0800
MIME-Version: 1.0
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: MSN 9
X-MimeOLE: Produced By MSN MimeOLE V9.10.0009.2900
Seal-Send-Time: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 11:23:45 -0800
X-OriginalArrivalTime: 26 Nov 2004 19:24:00.0590 (UTC)
        FILETIME=[7B7FCEE0:01C4D3ED]
Content-Type: text/plain;
        charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.5
Subject: [Homestead] new duties against exports, and remember this :
X-BeenThere: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
Reply-To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
List-Id: homestead.lists.ibiblio.org
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/homestead>,
        <mailto:homestead-request AT lists.ibiblio.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/homestead>
List-Post: <mailto:homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org>
List-Help: <mailto:sympa AT lists.ibiblio.org?subject=HELP>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/homestead>,
        <mailto:homestead-request AT lists.ibiblio.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2004 19:24:02 -0000

- - - a lotta untested *beef* is no longer *being* exported *because* 

it's *not tested* ... how many ways are there to break this country ? 

I dunno, but the __it in the Wh___ House is finding 'em all ...



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6589448/<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6589448/>

 

Stiff trade sanctions against U.S. approved

Apples, textiles, mobile homes among affected items

The Associated Press

Updated: 1:02 p.m. ET Nov. 26, 2004

GENEVA - The World Trade Organization gave the go-ahead Friday for punitive 
sanctions on U.S. exports from lobsters to industrial equipment because 
Washington has yet to comply with a two-year-old order to repeal a trade law 
that uses penalties collected from foreign manufacturers to aid their 
domestic rivals.

"It's been approved," said Amina C. Mohamed, Kenyan ambassador to the WTO, 
who is chairwoman of the organization's dispute settlement body.

The European Union and other plaintiffs sought formal WTO authorization to 
retaliate by imposing new duties against various U.S. products. Among the 
other potential targets are cod, cigarette, textiles, glassware, mobile 
homes, apples and lentils.

The EU has made clear that the carefully chosen products were aimed at 
influential parts of the United States that "could help Congress focus its 
mind on compliance."

On the EU list was heavy machinery made by companies like Caterpillar Inc., 
which is based in Illinois, the home state of U.S. House Speaker Dennis 
Hastert.

Their value has yet to be determined, but trade officials have said they 
could amount to more than $150 million a year. That's tiny in comparison with 
the $2 billion (1.5 billion euros) in sanctions the EU threatened in its 
successful bid to force the United States to lift illegal tariffs on foreign 
steel last year.

The U.S. steel industry has been the major beneficiary of the 2000 law, 
dubbed the Byrd amendment for its sponsor, West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd, 
D-W.Va. Other recipients included makers of pasta and candles.

The law was ruled illegal two years ago by the 148-nation WTO - which 
referees global commerce - on the basis of a complaint by eight WTO members: 
the EU, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, India and Chile.

"The United States cannot point to any progress for the repeal of the Byrd 
amendment," even though Washington "has received ample time to bring itself 
into compliance," Canadian trade official Rambod Behboodi said.

The contested law allows American companies to receive proceeds from duties 
levied on foreign rivals for alleged "dumping" - selling goods at 
below-market prices, making it impossible for American producers to compete.

The WTO backed claims that the amendment breaks trade laws by punishing 
exporters to the United States twice because they are first fined, and then 
those fines are passed on to their competitors.

"Japan cannot overlook this disregard by United States of its obligations 
under the WTO," said Japanese trade diplomat Keiichi Higuchi.

More than $800 million has gone to U.S. firms since 2000 and a new round of 
payouts which started Oct. 1 could total $290 million, officials said.

In August, a WTO arbitrator approved penalties of up to 72 percent of the 
money collected from foreign exporters and handed to American companies and 
said the winners in the case should submit lists of potential targets. Under 
WTO rules, however, formal authorization must come from the dispute 
settlement body.

On Tuesday, new EU trade chief Peter Mandelson said the sanctions could be 
applied early next year.

The EU, Japan, South Korea, India and Canada have submitted lists of exports 
that could be sanctioned.

EU trade official Raimund Raith told the meeting that Brussels wants the Bush 
administration to "transmit this message to Congress" and defend "U.S. 
credibility in the WTO."

The Bush administration indicated Friday that it would live with punitive new 
duties imposed by the World Trade Organization against U.S. products, even as 
it fights relentlessly to protect America's interests.

"We are continuing to work with Congress to bring the U.S. into compliance 
and we are consulting with our trading partners on these efforts," said 
Richard Mills, spokesman for U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick. 
Officials already notified the WTO that "we intend to comply with our 
international obligations in this matter."

"It's important to remember that these issues do not affect the ability of 
the United States to continue enforcing our trade laws to make sure Americans 
are being treated fairly," Mills said.

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may 
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.