Big powers bullying poor to get trade deal in WTO talks critics say

[psychopomp]

Surprisingly, the countries of the so-called developing world are not rolling over when they are told. What happens if this round fails?

Big powers bullying poor to get trade deal in WTO talks critics say
By Robert Evans
REUTERS

8:01 a.m. July 26, 2004

GENEVA – International aid and development groups on Monday accused the United States, the European Union and Japan of using bullying and threats to get poorer countries to agree to an unfair world trade pact.

World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi says if there is no trade deal this week, it could be years before talks resume.

"Bullying and arm-twisting is being widely used by the major powers to try to get developing countries to accept an agreement that is against their interests," said Alexandra Strickner of the U.S. Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).

British-based ActionAid International said poorer WTO members were facing "threats by the EU of losing their trade preferences, by the U.S. of being excluded from bilateral trade agreements, and by Japan of losing aid programmes."

-more


< http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20040726-0801-trade-talks-bullying.html >

[aquart]

1. Color me shocked.

Really. These "poor" nations are our sources of cheap labor and raw materials. They have HUGE bargaining power if they decide to act in concert.

[colonel odis]

2. amen. and i hope they do.

the greed of the developed countries and the disdain with which they treat anyone who interferes with their ability to make more money is sickening.

each day, it becomes harder to love my country.

[truthspeaker]

3. The whole POINT of the WTO is to bully poor nations!

[On the Road]

4. Instead of Third-World Workers Unionizing

maybe third-world governments are unionizing to better trade agreeements. Might be more effective.

[aquart]

10. Whichever. It won't happen without bloodshed. It never does.

[jpgray]

5. Dog Bites Man? (nt)

[rman]

6. as f'in usual

-

[kodi]

7. appears time for some right wing revolutions in the 3rd world

don't send in the marines, send in henry kissinger.

[tlcandie]

8. The US doesn't even need sweat shops in other countries...

We have our own!!! MADE IN THE USA

http://www.worldlinktv.org/programming/programDescription.php4?code=behind



<snip>
Lured by false promises and driven by desperation, thousands of Chinese and Filipina women pay high fees to work in garment factories on the pacific island of Saipan - the only U.S. territory exempt from labor and immigration laws. The clothing they sew, bearing the “Made in the USA” label, is shipped duty and quota-free to the U.S. for sale by The Gap, J. Crew, Polo and other retailers.
<snip>

[psychopomp]

9. That is despicable

"Made in the U.S.A." What is it worth? "14 hour shifts, payless paydays and lock-downs are routine." Certainly not this.

[aquart]

11. My 17 year old grandmother was the first in her shop to walk out on strike

It is really sickening to know the fight's back to square one.

[w4rma]

12. It's probably against the interests of regular American citizen's too (nt)