Showing posts with label wto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wto. Show all posts
Monday, August 20, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
Yes master
I'm blogging in full this excellent article by Lysandra Ohrstrom from the Daily Star (one wonders why she is still there.) Lysandra (whom I do not know) often addresses issues of relevance to trade and small industries and has excellent insights. Read how the current government policies (and previous ones) reject the idea of any intervention in the sectors in order to favor import and trade. Read how their vision for Lebanon is one of services with no production. Read how they blame family agribusinesses rather than addressing (US and EU) market distorting subsidies. Read how the US, directly and through its subservient cronies has decided how the economy of Lebanon will be: services and laissez faire. Read how the capitalists and businessmen of Lebanon are begging the state for some intervention but how the state will not intervene because the US Department of Commerce thinks it should not. This government defers to the US in all matters: local politics, economy and timing of the toilet breaks. You should have heard US ambassador Feltman give the Lebanese people yesterday his views on the Lebanese constitution and on the timing of the presidential elections. One word can describe him: High Commissionner.
Global market changes face of Lebanese economyInvestors focus attention on value-added sectorBy Lysandra Ohrstrom Daily Star staffThursday, July 19, 2007
BEIRUT: As Lebanon's drive toward integration in the global market intensifies, foreign investors are shifting their attention to value-added sectors of the local economy, leaving industry and agriculture to struggle against high production costs and competitively priced imports. Pharmaceuticals, Internet communication technology (ICT), and insurance were identified as Lebanon's "best prospect sectors" in the 2007 annual Country Commercial Guide report released by the US Department of Commerce last week.
The vice president of the Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce, Arslan Sinno, said the World Trade Organization (WTO) accession process and multi-lateral free trade agreements with European and Arab countries have promoted the liberalization of the economy, forcing business leaders to take stock of promising sectors for development that may be able to compete at the global level.
"In view of the European neighborhood policy, the GAFTA (Greater Arab Free Trade Agreement), and TIFA (Trade and Investment Framework Agreement) with America, it will be more difficult for smaller businesses to compete with industrial giants in Western countries so they are focusing on value-added products that rely on human resources," Sinno told The Daily Star in a phone interview Wednesday.
Multinational corporations are increasingly subcontracting local software firms for their computer programming needs, he said, leading to some early "success stories" in the nascent ICT industry. Meanwhile, international film distributors are commissioning tri-lingual Lebanese for film translation and subtitles.
But other productive sectors have not fared as well in their effort to gain a larger share of Western markets. Agri-food exporters, for instance, have attempted to appeal to the growing appetite for ethnic and Mediterranean foods in Europe and America - which has expanded beyond the Middle Eastern diaspora - said Sinno, but the absence of legislation promoting mergers between family-owned SME's has discouraged the consolidation that is necessary to reduce prices in foreign markets.
"We can't have 12 separate canning companies competing for a share in the same market, they need to merge and find financing so they can rival products from other countries like Cyprus who produce the same goods," Sinno explained.
Though multi-national labels like Nestle have shown minor interest in acquiring local food manufacturing labels, very few energy-intensive industries have managed to attract foreign capital or retain qualified personnel - especially for specialized products.
Industrialists are not averse to the further opening of the Lebanese market to international products, insisted Wajih al-Bizri, the vice president of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, but they need the government to mimic neighboring countries by creating industrial cities equipped with sewage systems, electricity and irrigation networks, and roads in less expensive, under-developed rural areas of the country.
"Lebanon never had any barriers to trade to begin with so industrialists are not afraid of [an open market]," he explained.
"What worries us is unfair competition from countries with low cost of energy.
"The [government] leased land to the private sector in Choueifat and Akkar and called them industrial zones, but they did not provide any infrastructure," Bizri said.I
ncreased openness has also contributed to the accelerating brain drain from Lebanon to Gulf countries, forcing industrialists to contend with an absence of qualified personnel with knowledge of international markets. Since the domestic market cannot meet the salary requirements commanded by middle and upper management in the Gulf, the quality of local products has suffered.
Though the Lebanese business community is calling for increased government intervention in the economy - however minor - the US Department of Commerce the views the state's laissez-faire investment policy as one of the country's biggest draws.
A multi-lingual workforce and media content providers in the country and the government's plans to upgrade the ICT infrastructure will offer significant opportunities to foreign investors, the department of commerce report said.
Meanwhile the pharmaceutical market generates $400 million a year in retail sales but products manufactured here account for less than five percent of total annual consumption, making Lebanon the biggest importer of prescription drugs in the Levant.
Insurance was also cited as an attractive sector for development since the demand for personal insurance policies and coverage for reconstruction work is projected to rise steadily.
The Lebanese service sector has shifted its gaze to global brands, with local branches of US franchises on the rise, despite declining purchasing power.
The report calls franchising "one of the fastest growing business sectors in Lebanon". Though domestic branches of global fast-food chains have proliferated most rapidly, the volume of clothing, retail, and car rental franchises has also risen, leading to the proposed creation of a union of Lebanese Franchisers this year.
Paul Ariss, head of the Restaurant, CafŽ, and Hotel Syndicate, expects the number of US food and restaurant franchises - there are currently at least a dozen different brands - to continue growing the future.
"Because the market is open, and people are aware of international brands there will always be a market for brands like Burger King, McDonald's, and KFC," he said.
"If they are still all doing well in Lebanon at a time like this other franchises will be encouraged to follow their example," Ariss said.
Global market changes face of Lebanese economyInvestors focus attention on value-added sectorBy Lysandra Ohrstrom Daily Star staffThursday, July 19, 2007
BEIRUT: As Lebanon's drive toward integration in the global market intensifies, foreign investors are shifting their attention to value-added sectors of the local economy, leaving industry and agriculture to struggle against high production costs and competitively priced imports. Pharmaceuticals, Internet communication technology (ICT), and insurance were identified as Lebanon's "best prospect sectors" in the 2007 annual Country Commercial Guide report released by the US Department of Commerce last week.
The vice president of the Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce, Arslan Sinno, said the World Trade Organization (WTO) accession process and multi-lateral free trade agreements with European and Arab countries have promoted the liberalization of the economy, forcing business leaders to take stock of promising sectors for development that may be able to compete at the global level.
"In view of the European neighborhood policy, the GAFTA (Greater Arab Free Trade Agreement), and TIFA (Trade and Investment Framework Agreement) with America, it will be more difficult for smaller businesses to compete with industrial giants in Western countries so they are focusing on value-added products that rely on human resources," Sinno told The Daily Star in a phone interview Wednesday.
Multinational corporations are increasingly subcontracting local software firms for their computer programming needs, he said, leading to some early "success stories" in the nascent ICT industry. Meanwhile, international film distributors are commissioning tri-lingual Lebanese for film translation and subtitles.
But other productive sectors have not fared as well in their effort to gain a larger share of Western markets. Agri-food exporters, for instance, have attempted to appeal to the growing appetite for ethnic and Mediterranean foods in Europe and America - which has expanded beyond the Middle Eastern diaspora - said Sinno, but the absence of legislation promoting mergers between family-owned SME's has discouraged the consolidation that is necessary to reduce prices in foreign markets.
"We can't have 12 separate canning companies competing for a share in the same market, they need to merge and find financing so they can rival products from other countries like Cyprus who produce the same goods," Sinno explained.
Though multi-national labels like Nestle have shown minor interest in acquiring local food manufacturing labels, very few energy-intensive industries have managed to attract foreign capital or retain qualified personnel - especially for specialized products.
Industrialists are not averse to the further opening of the Lebanese market to international products, insisted Wajih al-Bizri, the vice president of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, but they need the government to mimic neighboring countries by creating industrial cities equipped with sewage systems, electricity and irrigation networks, and roads in less expensive, under-developed rural areas of the country.
"Lebanon never had any barriers to trade to begin with so industrialists are not afraid of [an open market]," he explained.
"What worries us is unfair competition from countries with low cost of energy.
"The [government] leased land to the private sector in Choueifat and Akkar and called them industrial zones, but they did not provide any infrastructure," Bizri said.I
ncreased openness has also contributed to the accelerating brain drain from Lebanon to Gulf countries, forcing industrialists to contend with an absence of qualified personnel with knowledge of international markets. Since the domestic market cannot meet the salary requirements commanded by middle and upper management in the Gulf, the quality of local products has suffered.
Though the Lebanese business community is calling for increased government intervention in the economy - however minor - the US Department of Commerce the views the state's laissez-faire investment policy as one of the country's biggest draws.
A multi-lingual workforce and media content providers in the country and the government's plans to upgrade the ICT infrastructure will offer significant opportunities to foreign investors, the department of commerce report said.
Meanwhile the pharmaceutical market generates $400 million a year in retail sales but products manufactured here account for less than five percent of total annual consumption, making Lebanon the biggest importer of prescription drugs in the Levant.
Insurance was also cited as an attractive sector for development since the demand for personal insurance policies and coverage for reconstruction work is projected to rise steadily.
The Lebanese service sector has shifted its gaze to global brands, with local branches of US franchises on the rise, despite declining purchasing power.
The report calls franchising "one of the fastest growing business sectors in Lebanon". Though domestic branches of global fast-food chains have proliferated most rapidly, the volume of clothing, retail, and car rental franchises has also risen, leading to the proposed creation of a union of Lebanese Franchisers this year.
Paul Ariss, head of the Restaurant, CafŽ, and Hotel Syndicate, expects the number of US food and restaurant franchises - there are currently at least a dozen different brands - to continue growing the future.
"Because the market is open, and people are aware of international brands there will always be a market for brands like Burger King, McDonald's, and KFC," he said.
"If they are still all doing well in Lebanon at a time like this other franchises will be encouraged to follow their example," Ariss said.
Last round
"MEDIATORS at the World Trade Organisation made a bid to salvage a global free trade deal today by proposing compromises to overcome impasses in the key areas of agriculture and industrial goods.
The proposals are seen as possibly the last chance to save the so-called Doha round, which has lurched from crisis to crisis since it was launched in Qatar in 2001 to help lift millions of people out of poverty.
In an attempt to break the deadlock, diplomats chairing the WTO negotiations floated detailed texts spelling out ranges of cuts for farm subsidies and a formula for import tariff cuts for agricultural and industrial goods.
"Some of those narrow ranges or target numbers or technical draft text will be very painful, for sure. But that pain will be required to get agreement," said New Zealand's ambassador to the WTO, Crawford Falconer, who chairs the agriculture negotiations.
Under his plan, the United States would have to cut a ceiling for farm subsidies to between $US13 billion ($14.96 billion) and $US16.4 billion ($18.87 billion) a year, lower than its offer so far of $US17 billion ($19.56 billion).
The European Union would have to cut its highest tariffs on farm imports by 73 per cent, more than its offer of 60 per cent."
The proposals are seen as possibly the last chance to save the so-called Doha round, which has lurched from crisis to crisis since it was launched in Qatar in 2001 to help lift millions of people out of poverty.
In an attempt to break the deadlock, diplomats chairing the WTO negotiations floated detailed texts spelling out ranges of cuts for farm subsidies and a formula for import tariff cuts for agricultural and industrial goods.
"Some of those narrow ranges or target numbers or technical draft text will be very painful, for sure. But that pain will be required to get agreement," said New Zealand's ambassador to the WTO, Crawford Falconer, who chairs the agriculture negotiations.
Under his plan, the United States would have to cut a ceiling for farm subsidies to between $US13 billion ($14.96 billion) and $US16.4 billion ($18.87 billion) a year, lower than its offer so far of $US17 billion ($19.56 billion).
The European Union would have to cut its highest tariffs on farm imports by 73 per cent, more than its offer of 60 per cent."
Friday, July 13, 2007
Ard w' Nath
"Kamal Nath, India's minister of commerce and industry, has been called a lot of names in recent weeks, few of them good.
The latest round of talks between the Group of 4 - India, Brazil, the United States and the European Union - ground to a halt in late June after Nath and the Brazilian foreign minister, Celso Amorim, walked out. The U.S. trade representative, Susan Schwab, quickly called their actions "inflexible" and "low-ambition" and said they could harm other emerging nations.
India and Brazil are asking the United States to reduce the estimated $22 billion in subsidies that it allots to farmers, and the European Union to trim its €55 billion, or $75.8 billion, in such aid, saying they keep food prices on world markets artificially low, hurting farmers in developing nations. Developed nations would like to see substantial reductions in the taxes on imports to countries like India and Brazil, to give their manufacturers greater access to these fast-growing economies." (Thanks Yasmine)
The latest round of talks between the Group of 4 - India, Brazil, the United States and the European Union - ground to a halt in late June after Nath and the Brazilian foreign minister, Celso Amorim, walked out. The U.S. trade representative, Susan Schwab, quickly called their actions "inflexible" and "low-ambition" and said they could harm other emerging nations.
India and Brazil are asking the United States to reduce the estimated $22 billion in subsidies that it allots to farmers, and the European Union to trim its €55 billion, or $75.8 billion, in such aid, saying they keep food prices on world markets artificially low, hurting farmers in developing nations. Developed nations would like to see substantial reductions in the taxes on imports to countries like India and Brazil, to give their manufacturers greater access to these fast-growing economies." (Thanks Yasmine)
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Your trade or your life!
"The focus on bilateral agreements is a reflection, in part, of setbacks for the U.S. in the Doha round of WTO negotiations--and the failure of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), which was intended to extend NAFTA throughout the hemisphere.
Bogged down in Iraq, the U.S. has been unable to “deal” with its waning influence in the region in the usual manner--through military coups, covert interventions and the like.
South Korea has an unusually large agricultural workforce for an industrialized economy. Even with rice taken out of the agreement, hundreds of thousands of farmers could face ruin if forced to compete with U.S. exports, which benefit from a complex system of subsidies and supports.
The Colombian FTA may be the hardest sell of all. Two thousand Colombian trade unionists have been murdered since 1991, and more than 400 have been killed since President Álvaro Uribe took office. As the watchdog group Public Citizen puts it, Colombia is a “country where the murder of union members is their comparative advantage.”
Even if the Colombia and South Korea deals go down to defeat, there will be more agreements coming down the pike. To defeat neoliberal “free trade,” labor and the left need to translate the growing mass opinion against these deals into grassroots struggle--and to build solidarity with those struggling against the U.S. empire abroad, whether in its military or economic forms."
Just in case you were wondering why the Sanioura government and Nobel contender Haddadamus are so keen on signing FTAs (Free Trade Agreement) with the US.
Bogged down in Iraq, the U.S. has been unable to “deal” with its waning influence in the region in the usual manner--through military coups, covert interventions and the like.
South Korea has an unusually large agricultural workforce for an industrialized economy. Even with rice taken out of the agreement, hundreds of thousands of farmers could face ruin if forced to compete with U.S. exports, which benefit from a complex system of subsidies and supports.
The Colombian FTA may be the hardest sell of all. Two thousand Colombian trade unionists have been murdered since 1991, and more than 400 have been killed since President Álvaro Uribe took office. As the watchdog group Public Citizen puts it, Colombia is a “country where the murder of union members is their comparative advantage.”
Even if the Colombia and South Korea deals go down to defeat, there will be more agreements coming down the pike. To defeat neoliberal “free trade,” labor and the left need to translate the growing mass opinion against these deals into grassroots struggle--and to build solidarity with those struggling against the U.S. empire abroad, whether in its military or economic forms."
Just in case you were wondering why the Sanioura government and Nobel contender Haddadamus are so keen on signing FTAs (Free Trade Agreement) with the US.
Rice crackers
"Yang was sentenced in 2005 to seven and a half years in prison for planting 17 explosive devices in public places to protest rice imports that were mandated by agreements with the World Trade Organization. The explosives had notes that read, "Opposing rice imports.""
Friday, June 15, 2007
GMOs move into the EU: WTO again
"The European Union must accept more genetically modified foods to avoid renewed complaints about market barriers at the World Trade Organization, the EU trade commissioner, Peter Mandelson, said Thursday.
Any EU delay over the approval of genetically modified crops declared safe by scientists risks prompting legal challenges from farm exporters like the United States, Canada and Argentina, Mandelson said. In a case brought by these three countries, the WTO ruled last year that a 1998-2004 EU ban on new genetically altered foods was illegal." (Thanks Yasmine)
Any EU delay over the approval of genetically modified crops declared safe by scientists risks prompting legal challenges from farm exporters like the United States, Canada and Argentina, Mandelson said. In a case brought by these three countries, the WTO ruled last year that a 1998-2004 EU ban on new genetically altered foods was illegal." (Thanks Yasmine)
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Some innocent questions about trade in Lebanon
In an open letter to Minister of Economy and Trade Sami Haddad, Fadi Abboud, the head of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (by no means a lefty opposition figure) asks:
"Why dont you implement the anti dumping law? Why do you not treat the industry the way you treat commerce? Why be more royalist than the king? Why liberate trade beyond WTO requirements? Why break WTO rules when it comes to favoring trade and commerce? Why allow monopolies and exclusive agencies? Why protect ONLY A FEW LUCKY INDUSTRIALISTS?"
The answer my friend may be blowing in the wind, but you'll also find it in reviewing some of the posts on this blog, especially those that have to do with the declarations of our esteemed Minister of Free Trade regarding...free trade and hell.
"Why dont you implement the anti dumping law? Why do you not treat the industry the way you treat commerce? Why be more royalist than the king? Why liberate trade beyond WTO requirements? Why break WTO rules when it comes to favoring trade and commerce? Why allow monopolies and exclusive agencies? Why protect ONLY A FEW LUCKY INDUSTRIALISTS?"
The answer my friend may be blowing in the wind, but you'll also find it in reviewing some of the posts on this blog, especially those that have to do with the declarations of our esteemed Minister of Free Trade regarding...free trade and hell.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
World Bank: We said Free Trade, not Free People!
"Through the violent occupation of Iraq, the US is laying the foundations to further open the economy of the Middle East for their corporate interests. Countries once protected by oil revenues are lining up to sign bilateral agreements leading to a Middle East Free Trade Agreement. MEFTA would impose free market policies that have enslaved other regions of the global south to global capital. In Palestine, the World Bank has played a key role in facilitating the cooperation of global capital and occupation.
Central to the vision of the World Bank for a thriving and successful Palestinian “state” is the development of an export-orientated economy in which Palestinian dispossessed farmers are exploited as cheap labor and dominated by markets and free trade. Israeli and World Bank interests merge to destroy local forms of trade, sustainable patterns of agricultural production, and existing social structures.
The industrial zones are designed to serve the needs of the industry markets of Israel, whether by doing the most environmentally destructive production in Palestinian areas or by providing cheap labor. Additionally these zones would benefit the Israeli Occupation abroad where goods “Made in Palestine” have more favorable trade conditions in international markets.
While espousing the politics of free markets and free trade, the World Bank is not interested in the creation of a free people. Quite the opposite—its interests are best served by keeping Palestinians in economic enslavement. "
Please please read this article. And forward it to Lebanese minister of economy and trade, Sami Haddad, also known as Haddadamus (for his prophetic wisdom).
Central to the vision of the World Bank for a thriving and successful Palestinian “state” is the development of an export-orientated economy in which Palestinian dispossessed farmers are exploited as cheap labor and dominated by markets and free trade. Israeli and World Bank interests merge to destroy local forms of trade, sustainable patterns of agricultural production, and existing social structures.
The industrial zones are designed to serve the needs of the industry markets of Israel, whether by doing the most environmentally destructive production in Palestinian areas or by providing cheap labor. Additionally these zones would benefit the Israeli Occupation abroad where goods “Made in Palestine” have more favorable trade conditions in international markets.
While espousing the politics of free markets and free trade, the World Bank is not interested in the creation of a free people. Quite the opposite—its interests are best served by keeping Palestinians in economic enslavement. "
Please please read this article. And forward it to Lebanese minister of economy and trade, Sami Haddad, also known as Haddadamus (for his prophetic wisdom).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
+081.jpg)
Posts
