Source: NC Agribusiness Council - 5/10/12
The United States Trade Representative Office (USTR) continues to be vague regarding the treatment of tobacco in the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, currently being negotiated with several key trading countries in the pacific rim. This issue is important to ALL of NC Agribusiness - so please read in full.
This week, the Administration is at the table with proposed draft language that has not been shown to relevant stakeholders. Agricultural associations, farmers, companies and even the full Congress have not been allowed an opportunity to review the text that at this moment our US government is proposing to other countries. At this point, we are being told "they have to pass it for us to read it."
One point of contention with the proposed language has been the possibility that tobacco would be carved out from tariff language. We've been assured (although we haven't seen the language) that tobacco is not treated differently as it relates to tariffs. If correct, this is good news for NC, since tariffs can be used by countries to impede trade.
Another point of contention has been the possibility that tobacco would be carved out from "intellectual property rights protection and investment"...this relates to logos and brands. We have not been assured that tobacco related products will be protected. This is very concerning since NC leaf is a key ingredient in many of the most popular brands. Hurt the brand, hurt the farmer.
And finally another key concern regarding potentially proposed trade language presented by the Administration (again, we haven't been allowed to see the language) has been the creation of a "safe harbor" for regulations and other measures adopted by a health authority in other countries. What this means is that a country can declare due to health concerns they are banning the import of particular cigarettes into their country - for example cigarettes that contain certain ingredients.
While all countries maintain the authority to adopt sound, science based regulation in the public interest, to single out a single commodity for special "safe harbor" as it relates to regulations means the "science" basis can easily become "not so sound". This is very BAD news for NC, since through these "safe harbor" regulations, a country can all together ban the trade of blended cigarettes because of "soft science". So while tariffs may impede trade of tobacco products made with NC leaf, safe harbor from sound science may prohibit trade all together.
In addition, we also understand there is an intent to put statements in the "findings" section that states that tobacco is the #1 preventable cause of death and there is nothing more carcinogenic than tobacco. The precedent of putting such deragatory language about an agricultural commodity into a trade agreement is very concerning - not to mention the "camel's nose under the tent" green light that this will give to other advocacy groups that have traditionally been opposed to other agricultural products and practices. What would be in the next trade agreement once we start down this slippery slope? Today tobacco... tomorrow pesticides, antibiotics, growth regulators/hormones....
Now is the time to contact members of our NC Congressional Delegation and ask them to please contact TODAY the White House with a request for the Administration to slow down and not move forward with any language related to tobacco in the TPP until it has been thoroughly reviewed by ALL impacted US agricultural stakeholders as well as ALL members of Congress. Failure to proceed with something as importance as a trade agreement without due diligence and full imput from stakeholders and Congressional members is bad economic policy, bad trade policy, not to mention bad public policy. The Administration is at the negotiating table right now...and they are there with language about an agricultural commodity that none of us have seen - we need to make certain they DO NOT TABLE TOBACCO until we have read it!
Call your Congressional delegation by 10AM today! The Administration is moving fast - so we must move faster.
Congressman G.K. Butterfield 202.225.3101
Congressman Howard Coble 202.225.3065
Congresswoman Renee Ellmers 202.225.4531
Congresswoman Virginia Foxx 202.225.2071
Congressman Walter Jones 202.225.3415
Congressman Larry Kissell 202.225.3715
Congressman Patrick McHenry 202.225.2576
Congressman Mike McIntyre 202.225.2731
Congressman Brad Miller 202.225.3032
Congresswoman Sue Myrick 202.225.1976
Congressman David Price 202.225.1784
Congressman Heath Shuler 202.225.6401
Congressman Mel Watt 202.225.1510
| 