This WTO Ruling Is Perfect Example of How Big Trade Deals Trump Democracy

[eridani]

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/12/07/wto-ruling-perfect-example-how-big-trade-deals-trump-democracy

In a move that watchdogs say presents a "glaring example of how trade agreements can undermine public interest policies," the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled on Monday that the U.S. can be forced to pay $1 billion annually by NAFTA partners for its establishment of food safety laws.

In its decision, the WTO authorized $781 million from Canada and $227 million from Mexico in annual retaliation tariffs over the U.S. law requiring Country of Original Labels (COOL) for certain packaged meats, which food safety and consumer groups say is essential for consumer choice and animal welfare, as well as environmental and public health.

The United States' North American trading partners argued that being forced to label where animals were born, raised, and slaughtered placed an undue burden on livestock producers and processors and, as AgriPulse reports, "ultimately persuaded the WTO that the law accorded unfavorable treatment to Canadian and Mexican livestock."

Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch, said on Monday that the ruling "makes clear that trade agreements can—and do—threaten even the most favored U.S. consumer protections."

Citing a May 2015 speech during which U.S. President Barack Obama brushed aside warnings that agreements like NAFTA and the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) could undermine important regulations, Wallach continued: "We hope that President Obama stands by his claim that 'no trade agreement is going to force us to change our laws,' but in fact rolling back U.S. consumer and environmental safeguards has been exactly what past presidents have done after previous retrograde trade pact rulings."

[djean111]

1. NO votes or support from me for ANYONE who voted for Fast Track, votes for the TPP,

or shilled for either. Add in the other corporate coups oozing towards us, like the TTIP.

No votes, no support. And the other week a young guy who works with my grandson brought up the TPP to ME, asking if I had read about how bad it is. The TPP - a topic in the break room full of young people.

These things hurt everyone but the corporations and banks.

The politicians voting for this stuff and the politicians who shilled for this stuff knew exactly what these things will do to the people. If they didn't - then they are too stupid to support or vote for.

These are not designed to enable trade between countries, these are designed to give corporations power OVER countries.