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Trade

McConnell seeks to protect tobacco industry in trade deal

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is pressing the Obama administration to protect his state’s tobacco industry in a trade deal. McConnell is pressuring U.S. negotiators to ensure that tobacco companies can take part in the dispute settlement portion of the trade deal, with talks scheduled next week on the

USTR Informally Floats ISDS Tobacco Carveout With Some TPP Countries

U.S. trade officials have reached out to some other Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries to informally float the idea of excluding tobacco-related challenges from being brought under the deal’s investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism, according to informed sources. This move signals the United States may be ready to bring its position

Stubbing Out the Tobacco Industry’s Abuse of Trade Agreements

The tobacco industry has a long history of flexing its muscles, namely in the area of investor protection schemes, against governments in the name of protecting its own market. TTIP is an opportunity to set a good example for 21st century trade agreements by, at the minimum, recognizing the unique

Put public health on agenda of trade deal talks & ‘uncuff’ governments

Trade agreements are being used to “handcuff governments” over health policy, Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organisation said at its assembly. This was “disturbing” she went on, adding that trade agreements have many consequences for health. A nation’s health can be benefited by such deals, whether by increasing

Facing the Wrong Way

The Chamber of Commerce is undercutting its trade agenda by supporting Big Tobacco. Since early in 2011, much of our attention here at ASH has been focused on the nexus between trade and tobacco, in particular on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). If you have followed this issue, you’ve seen

President Obama’s smoking problem in Malaysia

Malaysia’s government is battling against a smoking epidemic that threatens its young people — and it fears Barack Obama’s big Pacific trade deal will make the health crisis even worse. Read the full Politico article here>

45 State Attorneys General Call for Tobacco Carve Out in the TPP

January 27, 2014 Ambassador Michael Froman Office of the United States Trade Representative 600 17th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20208 Dear Ambassador Froman: The undersigned Attorneys General write to request that the United States Trade Representative act to preserve the ability of state and local governments to regulate tobacco products

US Reps. Waxman, Doggett, Capps and Over 50 Members Urge Administration to Strengthen Tobacco Proposal in TPP

33rd Congressional District of California Rep. Henry A. Waxman For Immediate Release: October 30, 2013 Karen Lightfoot (Waxman): (202) 225-5735 Doug Molof (Doggett): (202) 225-4865 Chris Meagher (Capps): (202) 225-3601 Reps. Waxman, Doggett, Capps, and Over 50 Members Urge Administration to Strengthen Tobacco Proposal for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement WASHINGTON,

Tobacco Trade Simplified

The impact of trade on tobacco can seem complicated, but there are only 5 main things you need to know. Number 1: Tobacco is unique among consumer products. When used exactly as intended, tobacco products kill. Therefore, tobacco should be exempted or “carved out” from trade agreements. Number 2: Free

Obama No-Show a (Minor) Blow for Asia Trade Talks

President Barack Obama‘s absence from a meeting of leaders from Asia Pacific dealt a symbolic blow to efforts to forge a regional trade pact. But Mr. Obama’s no-show, due to the drama of debt-ceiling talks in Washington, has little practical effect on the trade talks. Before news of Mr. Obama’s

How cigarette companies use free trade deals to sell more cigarettes to women and kids

Global trade negotiations in Washington this week will determine how cigarette companies will be able to market their products in developing nations—and potentially, overturn smoking restrictions around the world. As cigarette smoking has fallen in the United States and Europe thanks to public health laws and liability lawsuits, global tobacco

Stop TPP Protections for Big Tobacco

The U.S. has a rare opportunity this week to rein in the tobacco industry, and assert its mandate to protect and save lives, while proudly exercising cross-border diplomacy. The U.S. Trade Representative should accept a proposal to carve protections for Big Tobacco out of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), a

The Tobacco Problem in U.S. Trade

Should tobacco be like any other product in U.S. trade? The question bedeviled U.S. policymakers for decades, but it has now arisen again, with much controversy, in the context of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the pending trade deal between the United States and eleven other countries. The White House has

US’s controversial TPP proposal is smoking gun for corporate agenda

Vietnam and other countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations face aggressive interference from Big Tobacco in the passage and implementation of public health policies, critics warn. The US government has sought to include tobacco in a regional free-trade pact, which would enable tobacco companies to use trade rules to

The Hazard of Free-Trade Tobacco

Give thanks to Malaysia for heading off, at least temporarily, an American effort to weaken the ability of countries to impose stiff rules on the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products within their own borders. The Malaysian proposal to preserve that ability led to a stalemate at a Trans-Pacific

How Malaysia Gave Me My Mojo Back

By Chris Bostic, ASH Deputy Director for Policy August 14th was a strange day in my professional life. I have worked to fight the global tobacco epidemic for almost exactly 12 years now, and there have been highs and lows. One of the biggest of each came on that Wednesday.

Malaysia lauded for seeking to exclude tobacco in trade pact

Washington, DC 26 August – Tobacco control advocates from over 20 different countries lauded Malaysia for its announcement to exclude tobacco from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). The TPP is a free trade agreement involving twelve countries of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) bloc: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan,

Obama Goes to Bat for Big Tobacco in TPP

WASHINGTON, DC 19 August – The Obama Administration has backed down from a proposal revealed 15 months ago to protect health from Big Tobacco under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the pending free trade agreement with 11 other countries. New language concerning tobacco, the exact text of which has not been

Malaysia not bound by fixed timeline on TPPA

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia will not be bound by any fixed timeline with regards to the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).   At a special meeting convened today, the Cabinet made this stand as a number of issues, including that of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) or government-linked companies, labour and Intellectual

Cabinet to carve out tobacco from TPP

The Malaysian government is expected to carve out tobacco from the controversial Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement in a soon to be convened special Cabinet meeting, according to an official from the Malaysian Council for Tobacco Control (MCTC). MCTC president Dr Molly Cheah said the Ministry of International Trade and

WTO Decision Forces U.S. Hand on Menthol Cigarettes

U.S. will comply with WTO decision by moving to ban menthol additives   GENEVA, SWITZERLAND 24 July – Yesterday the U.S. laid out its plan to come into compliance with a WTO dispute settlement panel finding that the U.S. ban on clove cigarettes violated the trading rights of Indonesia. The

Action Review: Second Quarter Edition 2013

WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY 2013 The world lacks protection from tobacco and under 11% of the world’s population is protected by comprehensive national smoke-free laws. This year’s World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) theme focused on tobacco advertising bans. According to the World Health Organization, bans on advertising, promotion and sponsorship

Trade Update

ASH Review: Second Quarter Edition 2013 In May, the 17th round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was held in Lima, Peru. ASH representative Eduardo Bianco travelled to Lima to meet with delegates and educate them on the urgency of the tobacco issue. Once again, the U.S. failed to

Testimony on the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP)

From May 29-30, the United States Trade Representative held hearings on the upcoming negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). May 20, 2013, ASH’s Chris Bostic testified about tobacco, urging the U.S. to exclude it from the treaty. The text of his verbal comments is below. To read