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Chinese Official on China""s Positions in New Round of Global Trade Talks

XINHUA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE | May 1, 2002 BANGKOK--Chinese Deputy Foreign Trade Minister Long Yongtu introduced China's positions in the new round of global trade negotiations Wednesday, calling for fostering a new international economic order and protecting interests of the developing countries.

Nations Talk Free Trade, But Protectionism Rises

Los Angeles Times | By WARREN VIETH | May 1, 2002 The United States and other big countries still are promoting the virtues of free trade, but they are moving to protect vulnerable industries at a pace that undermines their rhetoric.

Leaked Confidential Documents Reveal EC`s Neoliberal GATS Agenda

From Corporate European Observer | May, 2002 A series of leaked confidential documents, prepared by the European Commission for the WTO negotiations on liberalisation of trade in services (GATS 2000) are now available on our GATSwatch website.

NZ govt favours carbon tax to meet Kyoto target

WELLINGTON - The New Zealand government yesterday proposed a tax of up to NZ$25 ($11.17) a tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent to meet targets under the Kyoto climate change agreement.

Farm bill holds promise of subsidies for Oregon farms

The Oregon Farm Bureau welcomed a $180 billion national farm bill for boosting wheat subsidies and land conservation funding in eastern Oregon.

Ethanol may kill Arctic drilling in US energy bill

WASHINGTON - U.S. farmers' desire to sell more corn-based ethanol may be key to getting Senate and House lawmakers to set aside their differences over drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and agree on final energy legislation this year.

City folk, corporations receive crop supports

People in Brooklyn and Beverly Hills receive farm subsidies from the federal government, and local farmers say that's just wrong. Anyone who owns farm ground can receive subsidies, even if the person doesn't work the ground, explained Liz Moore of the Environmental Working Group. That leads to some unlikely subsidy recipients, her group reported.

177 countries agree to socio-economic and cultural considerations and a precautionary approach

At midnight on the last night of their annual meeting, the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity concluded their last controversial debate of the year.

Farm Foolery

If Representative Larry Combest finds the Environmental Working Group a burr under his Texas saddle, it's not hard to see why. Last spring the nonprofit outfit released a report showing how farm commodity subsidies (for corn, wheat, cotton, soybeans) have turned the home district of the Republican chairman of the powerful House Agriculture Committee into a huge federal feeding trough.

Australia May Challenge US Farm Subsidies in WTO

AFX European Focus | April 29, 2002 SYDNEY - The government will consider challenging US farm subsidies in the World Trade Organisation and may impose punitive duties on subsidised US farm produce exported to Australia, Agriculture Minister Warren Truss said. "Any of the measures which do not comply with WTO rules, we will challenge," he said.