TPP: U.S. wants AU to lower standards on health of imported U.S. beef

[cali]

Ho fucking hum. Another day, another bit of sleazy news out of President Obama's piece of shit trade deal:

The Australian is reporting today that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, which enters its final stages of negotiation, could require that Australia allow access to US beef imports that are potentially contaminated with Mad Cow disease:

The US has previously suggested increasing Australia’s access to its sugar markets in return for a lowering of biosecurity limits on American beef and this month cabinet was warned “there is ­increasing pressure from the US, Japan and Europe to allow fresh beef” imports.

according to the cabinet briefing, obtained by The Australian, the US has offered Australia some of the “least acceptable outcomes” in the TPP trade talks and offers of increased sugar and dairy access “is still linked” to quarantine conditions.

The US’ linking of quarantine with sugar and dairy access has reportedly infuriated both the beef industry and some Coalition members, with both the National’s Agriculture Minister, Barnaby Joyce, and Liberal Senate agricultural committee member, Bill Heffernan, publicly against such a move.

<snip>

http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2015/05/coalition-new-beef-tpp-trade-deal/

Trust the President on the TPP? You're kidding, right?

[marym625]

1. Unfortunately, they're not kidding

I posted a question a few days ago or so, asking why, even when taking all possible horrible content out of the equation, any one would blindly support the TPP. Didn't get a single answer that wasn't just blind faith in President Obama.

Sigh.

[newfie11]

2. I think I'm in the twilight zone

Everything is wrong, upside down, and backwards.
I thought Obama was on our side, I voted twice for him.
Now this POS trade deal that he's pushing!

Thank God for Liz Warren!

[cali]

3. thank goodness for all the dems who have been fighting this

Rosa deLauro has been wonderful. So has Bernie who's been fighting these types of deals for over 25 years, Peter deFazio and many more.

[newfie11]

6. Oh I agree

It's just that Elizabeth Warren was what drew the attention to it.

I am ever thankful to all the Dems going up against this garbage.

[octoberlib]

4. This just took place , thanks to NAFTA

In a decision food safety and consumer advocates are calling a blow to animal welfare, environmental standards, and democracy, the World Trade Organization on Monday ruled that U.S. labels on packaged meat indicating where cows, chicken or other animals were born, raised and slaughtered are in violation of international trade pacts because they place foreign imports at an economic disadvantage.

"This is a chilling reminder that our very democracy is at stake in these trade deals. Congress should reject calls to Fast Track new trade deals to maintain its legislative autonomy, rather than creating new trade tribunals that can wipe out U.S. laws." —Wenonah HauterThe WTO ruling—which is final and not subject to further appeal—is a seen as victory for the U.S. meat-packing industry, which has characterized the "country of origin labels" (COOL) as burdensome and repeatedly challenged them in court. But the decision was decried by critics who say it highlights the far-reaching implications of so-called "free trade" deals which allow multinational corporations and business interests to challenge domestic regulations that threaten their bottom line.

In this case, the WTO challenge was brought by Mexico and Canada, on behalf of their respective meat industries, against the U.S. government for violations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by arguing the U.S. labeling regime negatively impacted their ability to compete in the lucrative American market.

"This is just the latest example of how multinational companies use the global trade system to attack basic protections for U.S. consumers," said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, in a statement responding to the ruling. "The meat industry has been trying – and failing – for years to get rid of COOL through the U.S. system, so it had to use unaccountable, unelected trade officials at the WTO to do its dirty work."

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/05/18/wto-ruling-meat-labels-exemplifies-corporate-profits-trumping-democracy

[cali]

5. yep. and think what it implies for the tpp with food imports from Vietnam

in particular and other countries. I posted this in another thread:

baloney. enforcement of safety standards by the USDA is seriously under par.

now consumers won't even be able to find out where their meat came from. What happens when Vietnam, brings the same complaint regarding shrimp, under the TPP? I won't buy shrimp from Vietnam. In fact, I won't buy any shrimp but U.S.

Consumer reports: Tests Find 60 Percent of Frozen Shrimp Contaminated With Bacteria

<snip>

Results from testing for bacterial and drug residues showed that 16 percent of cooked, ready-to-eat shrimp contained several bacteria, including Vibrio and E. coli. Antibiotics were found in 11 samples of raw, imported, farmed shrimp, and MRSA was detected in 7 raw shrimp samples.

Nearly all (94 percent) of the raw shrimp available in the U.S. are farmed in Asian countries, including Thailand, Vietnam, India and Indonesia. Because of the crowded and polluted conditions that typically exist in fish-farming ponds or tanks, the shrimp are often given antibiotics such as tetracyclines, which is illegal in shrimp imported to the U.S.

Specifically, the CR report noted that “of 205 raw farmed imported shrimp samples, 11 samples from Vietnam, Thailand, and Bangladesh tested positive for one or more antibiotics: Nine tested positive for oxytetracycline, three contained enrofloxacin, and two contained sulfa antibiotics.”

Bacterial contamination on shrimp poses a problem because, even though cooking the shrimp should kill any bacteria, the report findings indicate that more needs to be done to prevent such contamination in the first place.

<snip>

Freezing may also be a good step in controlling Vibrio, she noted, adding, “but 28 percent of our frozen samples had Vibrio.”

“Vibrio illnesses are on the rise, according to , so Vibrio control is one of the things our federal agencies are concerned about,” Rangan said.

Antibiotic residues in shrimp are a concern because they’re illegal under U.S. food safety laws and because they indicate differing food safety standards between the U.S. and exporting countries, she noted.

<snip>

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2015/04/consumer-reports-tests-find-60-percent-of-frozen-shrimp-contaminated-with-bacteria/#.VVsg6PBChOw

And this is just ONE example.

[djean111]

7. Well, as I am told here by one or two others, who the fuck are we Americans to refuse to eat

the same nasty shrimp that they eat in Vietnam? That is, if the Vietnamese can afford to buy their own shrimp, or if the Vietnamese actually eat the same shrimp from the same source that they export from, of course.

Cheer up! With the way the TPP/TTIP allows Big Pharma to keep medicine really expensive - shrimp from Vietnam may be our only source for the antibiotics we need to combat the viruses we get from eating shrimp from Vietnam!

[Segami]

8. No, he's not...

He telling us the whole truth and nothin' but!