Busy time for free trade proponents.After intense negotiations, the U.S. and Australia reached a trade agreement in February 2004 that will bring significant benefits to U.S. consumers despite its shortcomings A shortcoming is a character flaw. Shortcomings may also be:
It was disappointing for free trade proponents that even with a country such as Australia that has so much in common with the U.S., the American negotiators were hamstrung ham·string n. 1. Any of the tendons at the rear hollow of the human knee. 2. or hamstrings The hamstring muscle. 3. The large tendon in the back of the hock of a quadruped. tr.v. by intense pressure from special interest groups. For example, the U.S. took sugar off the table despite the benefits that a more open market for sugar would provide for consumers and the sugar using industries in the U.S. But the U.S.-Australian agreement has not been the only issue on the trade agenda. The Central American Central America A region of southern North America extending from the southern border of Mexico to the northern border of Colombia. It separates the Caribbean Sea from the Pacific Ocean and is linked to South America by the Isthmus of Panama. Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA cafta see catha edulis. ) is also under scrutiny. U.S. and representatives of five Central American countries--Costa Rica, El Salvador El Salvador (ĕl sälväthōr`), officially Republic of El Salvador, republic (2005 est. pop. 6,705,000), 8,260 sq mi (21,393 sq km), Central America. , Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua--have finished their negotiations. Now the agreement has to be approved by the different countries. After the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR USTR United States Trade Representative USTR United States Transuranium Registry (Richmond, Washington) USTR Underground Storage Tank Regulation ) negotiates trade agreements and before they are voted upon, advisory committees of the USTR are required to submit comments to the President and Congress on whether the agreement promotes U.S. interests. In its comments, each committee also specifically addresses its area of specialty. Consumer Alert's Executive Director Fran Smith, in her role as a member of the USTR's Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee, joined the Hudson Institute's Dennis Avery, on March 19 submitted comments dissenting from TEPAC's majority report on CAFTA. In their dissent An explicit disagreement by one or more judges with the decision of the majority on a case before them. A dissent is often accompanied by a written dissenting opinion, and the terms dissent and dissenting opinion are used interchangeably. , Smith and Avery noted that CAFTA includes extensive environmental provisions that go far beyond mandated requirements, and some of those provisions could undermine the 'free trade' aspects of the agreement. What is particularly short-sighted about the extensive environmental provisions, they stated, is the lack of recognition that open trade itself can be one of the major contributors to environmental improvement. Because trade allows for more efficient use of resources and economic opportunities, it can play a critical role in addressing environmental concerns. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion