Free trade agreements

Letter in Response to Star Tribune Article on CAFTA

Letter submitted to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in response to an article criticizing sugar beet farmers for being concerned about the impact of CAFTA on their livelihoods.

CAFTA's Impact on U.S. Ethanol Market

The U.S. ethanol industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Much of this growth in the Midwest has been financed and fueled by local investments, primarily from family farmers, who own collectively over half of the 84 ethanol plants. These plants provide risk mitigation and a preferred market for corn farmers, new jobs and income streams for rural communities.

American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Opposes DR-CAFTA

Letter to members of Congress opposing DR-CAFTA from members of the ethanol industry.

CAFTA-NAFTA: Don't Be Fooled Again

The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) is modeled directly on NAFTA. The supporters of NAFTA's deregulation of national borders promised farmers they would "export their way to prosperity". After eleven years of NAFTA this line of thinking was exposed as a myth as farmers watched crop prices for major commodities decline, and now CAFTA would continue the same pattern.

Sweet or Sour? The U.S. Sugar Program and the Threats Posed by the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Program

The U.S. sugar program is the only major U.S.commodity program that guarantees fair prices to farmers, operates at no cost to tax payers and prevents export dumping at below the cost of production. In other words, it balances supply and demand.

China Bans Poultry Imports from North Korea

CHINA, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF, April 5, 2005 -- On March 31, 2005, China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) made a joint announcement to ban poultry product imports from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), due to outbreaks of high pathogenic avian influenza in that country.

Comprehensive Plan to Reduce the Risk of Avian Influenza Outbreak

The Hong Kong government has drawn up a comprehensive plan to reduce the risk of an avian influenza outbreak. The plan has just been submitted to the Legislative Council for discussion.

Letter to the South American Ministers of Agriculture on CAFTA and U.S. Food Safety

This letter was sent in response to the U.S. demanding that the authorities in these countries recognize all USDA certified meat processing and slaughterhouse establishments as eligible to export to their countries and all U.S. meat hygiene and inspection measures as equivalent to what they already use. And this is in spite of the considerable and on-going food safety issues in the U.S.

Argentina Official Sees Little Chance Of FTAA By 2005

BUENOS AIRES (AP)--An Argentine official told local reporters Tuesday that moves to create a Free Trade Area of the Americas, as promised by 2005, remain a long shot - lacking political momentum. Eduardo Sigal, an undersecretary for economic integration in Argentina's Foreign Ministry, was quoted as saying the FTAA is "in a crisis" and even "in the freezer."

Analysis of the Central American Free Trade Agreement Concerning Agriculture

The provisions in the Central American Free trade Agreement (CAFTA) that pertain to agricultural trade and agribusiness investment are spread through several chapters of the CAFTA text.