Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

White House sees no need to renegotiate CAFTA
Reuters ^ | 13. May 2005 | unattributed

Posted on 05/14/2005 7:47:26 AM PDT by 1rudeboy

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - The Bush administration will not renegotiate a controversial free-trade pact with Central America despite strong opposition from labor groups and the sugar industry, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said on Friday.

As President Bush stepped up his bid this week for congressional approval of the U.S.-Central America Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, Gutierrez told Reuters the plan would not go back to the drawing board even though lawmakers are skeptical of its ability to pass.

"It's a treaty that has already been negotiated and even approved by the congresses in three Central American countries," Gutierrez said in an interview during a hemispheric forum in Monterrey. "We don't feel the need to renegotiate anything."

On Thursday, Bush promised Central American leaders in Washington he would fight for the pact, by far the most controversial of the six free-trade agreements he has negotiated since taking office.

Few Democrats have come out in favor of CAFTA, making it likely the Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives will have to supply most of the votes it needs to pass.

In the U.S. Senate it faces obstacles because of sugar and textile industry concerns. Opponents say it does not meet labor and environmental standards, among other flaws.

Leaders from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and the Dominican Republic met with Bush after visiting 10 U.S. cities this week to drum up support for the pact.

They lobbied members of Congress on Wednesday, but that has not yielded any new endorsements.

The Bush administration argues that the labor and environmental provisions meet guidelines set by Congress in 2002 and are as strong as those in free trade pacts with other nations, which were backed by Democrats.

"There is always strong debate at first with free-trade agreements, but the details of CAFTA are so logical and of such benefit to the United States and Central America that we feel that when they are known it will have support," Gutierrez said.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2006; 2006election; aliens; border; bushtreason; buyuaw; cafta; doom; fox; givemeajob; gloom; illegals; joblosses; jobs; latinamerica; mexico; nadercannotbewrong; screwthesugarlobby; shaftpat; trade; votedem; whereswillie
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-25 next last

1 posted on 05/14/2005 7:47:27 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy

SHAFTA ping


2 posted on 05/14/2005 7:57:03 AM PDT by SealSeven
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SealSeven
It's not shafta. There are hardly any trade barriers for these countries the way it is. In fact it will open up their markets more.
3 posted on 05/14/2005 8:01:54 AM PDT by bahblahbah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SealSeven

Thanks for the ping. I agree.


4 posted on 05/14/2005 8:05:32 AM PDT by texastoo (a "has-been" Republican)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: bahblahbah

In your opinion, what are some pro's and con's in reference to CAFTA?


5 posted on 05/14/2005 8:11:28 AM PDT by SealSeven
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: SealSeven
Here are some pro's. I'm sure someone else will provide the con's.
6 posted on 05/14/2005 8:14:04 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

Here are some more.
7 posted on 05/14/2005 8:18:27 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy

Thanks for the info. Will any Americans lose their jobs due to CAFTA? Will CAFTA make it easier for American business to outsource to these other countries?
I skimmed over the info and so far I only see it mostly helping everyone but us. Kind of like bleeding the US so as to improve the other countries economy.


8 posted on 05/14/2005 8:27:58 AM PDT by SealSeven
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SealSeven

The immediate threat posed by CAFTA is job losses, the most important reason to oppose CAFTA is that it would be a steppingstone to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).


9 posted on 05/14/2005 8:33:05 AM PDT by c-b 1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: SealSeven
Will any Americans lose their jobs due to CAFTA?

The idea is to gain more jobs than you lose.

10 posted on 05/14/2005 8:36:09 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: SealSeven
Will CAFTA make it easier for American business to outsource to these other countries?

No. It is already easy to outsource to these countries, as most of their products already enter the U.S. duty-free.

11 posted on 05/14/2005 8:37:12 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy

Ok. So basically, opening up the market would cause more competitiveness amongst all countries involved. Will this hurt American business?


12 posted on 05/14/2005 8:44:18 AM PDT by SealSeven
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: SealSeven; 1rudeboy
A week ago I was in a big argument with a Canadian buddy of mine that's been living in Ecuador for the past 30 years and was up in Panama visiting me.   He'd just gotten a call offering him more work as translator for CAFTA negotiators in Ecuador (the pay is good enough) and he says the Americans are bad because they get these treaties where the poor third world country looses jobs to the rich Americans.

I swear by all that's holy, I did not make this up.

13 posted on 05/14/2005 9:34:34 AM PDT by expat_panama
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy; SealSeven
From one of the reports you cited: The United States exported almost $16 billion in goods to the five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic in 2004...

Notice how they conveniently leave out the imports from that report? We have been in deficit trade with all of those countries for years. Will CAFTA turn that around. No way. We will now be able to import more cheaply from those countries boosting their economy only to allow them to buy a couple of American cars. It's another lose situation for us. Just like NAFTA.

14 posted on 05/14/2005 9:46:33 AM PDT by raybbr
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: raybbr
Let's see if we can understand each other's point of view; and if we can't, we'll at least forego the name calling.   

Some of us like how CAFTA lowers our import taxes and gives us more freedom to shop where we want.   I understand you want to raise my import taxes, you want to limit my shopping freedom, and you want to force me to support an American minority that you think is more disserving than the majority of Americans.

I told you what I believe-- don't try and say I believe something else.

If I misstated your point of view (I know, it happens), please tell me which of the beliefs that I hung on you --that you don't agree with.  I want to understand your position-- I figure there's always the possibility that you may be right.

15 posted on 05/14/2005 10:06:01 AM PDT by expat_panama
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: c-b 1
"the most important reason to oppose CAFTA is that it would be a steppingstone to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)."

Careful... If you give too much info too fast you'll lose them! LOL

16 posted on 05/14/2005 10:17:32 AM PDT by Ex-expromissor (Know Your Enemy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: c-b 1; 1rudeboy

To the free trader, job losses are irrelevant.

Those would be jobs that employ non-college educated Americans, the low class scum for whom they have nothing but contempt.


17 posted on 05/14/2005 11:36:05 AM PDT by Sam the Sham
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: expat_panama
"...an American minority that you think is more disserving than the majority of Americans>"

Who's the minority and who's the majority in your equation?

18 posted on 05/14/2005 11:45:04 AM PDT by monkeywrench
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: monkeywrench
Who's the minority and who's the majority in your equation?

Excellent question.  The article mentions "sugar and textile industry concerns".   Presumably this means that CAFTA is supposed to lower the price of sugar and cloth.   That's good for the Americans who buy cloth and bad for the Americans who make sugar and cloth.   I would bet that the percentage of people in the US who buy sugar and cloth (or at least use what's bought for them) is darn near 100 percent.  I would also be willing to bet that the percentage of people in the US who make and sell their own sugar and cloth is less than 50 percent  -- looking over the BLS data  it looks like we're talking about more like three or four percent.

This is why I generally see opposition to CAFTA as coming from tiny bunch of welfare cheats looking for a free ride off of an increase in everyone's taxes.

19 posted on 05/14/2005 3:00:26 PM PDT by expat_panama
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: c-b 1
The immediate threat posed by CAFTA is job losses, the most important reason to oppose CAFTA is that it would be a steppingstone to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

Are you in favor of California instituting trade barriers with Alabama since they have a different cost of living? Do you think making goods more expensive for California citizens will improve the California economy?

20 posted on 05/14/2005 3:05:33 PM PDT by Gunslingr3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-25 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson