Landmark case gives governments more discretion in health policies Contact: Megan Arendt, (202) 659 – 4310 Statement of Laurent Huber, Executive Director, Action on Smoking & Health WASHINGTON, DC – June 28, 2018 – In a long-awaited and welcome decision, today the World Trade Organization (WTO) found in favor of
By Chris Bostic, for Health and Trade Network As the role of tobacco companies in trade agreements on both sides of the Atlantic has been highlighted by a series of controversial events in recent weeks, this HaT paper is presented as a summary of the current key issues in the
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Megan Arendt Office: 202-659-4310 Email: arendtm@ash.org Obama Can Help End Tobacco Epidemic, Says ASH Action on Smoking & Health (ASH) Calls on President Obama to Choose Health Over Profits WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 24, 2015 – President Obama and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Froman have the
In 2012, Australia implemented tough anti-tobacco regulations, requiring that all cigarettes be sold in plain, logo-free brown packages dominated by health warnings. Philip Morris Asia filed suit, claiming that this violated its intellectual-property rights and would damage its investments. The company sued Australia in domestic court and lost. But it
Remarks by the President at Meeting of the Export Council December 11, 2014 The big bugaboo that’s lifted up there is tobacco companies suing poorer countries to make sure that anti-smoking legislation is banned, or at least tying them up with so much litigation that ultimately smaller countries cave. Those
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
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
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
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
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,
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei – The Malaysian government is poised to table a proposal here that would completely carve out tobacco control measures from having to comply with any obligations in a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, according to informed sources. The proposal, which would effectively shield TPP governments from any
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
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
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
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
h How can you remove tobacco from trade treaties without harming trade for useful products? h h h h When has the tobacco industry sued a country for trying to protect their citizens’ health? h What makes it irreconcilable? h How many people have died since tobacco started benefiting from
