Doug Henwood wrote:
> Yes, there are contradictions in the system; yes,
> there are rivalries among the major imperialist powers; yes, the
> three metropoles, the U.S., the EU, and Japan, each have their own
> geographic spheres of particular influence. But conceding all that,
> it's amazing how peaceful the coexistence is among the imperial
> powers. The members of the EU fought among themselves over who would
> be the first head of the European Central Bank, but they ended up
> with a nominee. The major powers fought over who would head the WTO
> and the IMF, but they ended up with nominees. The U.S. is the major
> investor in Latin America, but the EU is the major investor in Brazil
> and Argentina, yet all parties pretty much get along. The U.S. is in
> the process of economically annexing Mexico, but you'll find Sony and
> Volkswagen plants operating happily there. Maybe this comity won't
> last forever; maybe they will come to blows someday.
-
Financial Times US 'is behind' on trade deals By Edward Alden in Washington Published: February 8 2001 21:45GMT | Last Updated: February 8 2001 23:17GMT
Chief executives from leading US companies will warn the Bush administration on Friday that US trade is falling behind while the European Union, Mexico and even Japan forge ahead with new free trade agreements that could be hostile to US interests.
The Business Roundtable (BRT), which includes companies such as Boeing, Caterpillar, Procter & Gamble and Archer Daniels Midland, says that the domestic stalemate over trade liberalisation is leaving the US out of new international trade and investment agreements. The group's report, which catalogues the recent explosion of trade agreements that exclude the US, highlights a growing fear among US companies that the stalled trade agenda could begin to hurt US export competitiveness.
The chief executives warn that over the longer-term "our trading partners are creating rules that cut against us and are forming strategic alliances that are hostile to US interests". BRT executives met in Washington on Thursday and were expected to give final approval to a 17-page report called "The Case for US Trade Leadership: The United States is Falling Behind." Phil Condit, chief executive of aircraft maker Boeing, the largest US exporting company, said: "It's time to reinvigorate our trade efforts and push forward aggressively.
"We can ill afford to be left behind as other nations reap the benefit of trade agreement after trade agreement." The sharp warning will amplify pressure on the Bush administration to gain congressional consent for an ambitious trade agenda. Robert Zoellick, who was confirmed by the Senate earlier this week as US Trade Representative, sounded many of the same concerns in congressional testimony last week. The report will for the first time spell out publicly the significant change in the US business community's stance over linking trade agreements to labour rights and environmental protection. The report will be available at 10am EST on Friday at www.brt.org.