Thread: White House warns Costa Rica ahead of trade vote

By Doug Palmer
Sat Oct 6, 4:34 PM ET



WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will not renegotiate a free trade agreement with Costa Rica if voters in that country turn down the pact in a referendum on Sunday, the White House said.

ADVERTISEMENT


"If the free trade agreement is rejected, the United States will not renegotiate the agreement," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said in a statement on Saturday that was the latest in a series of conflicting messages from Washington ahead of Costa Rica's vote.

"The United States has never renegotiated a free trade agreement that has been approved by the Congress," she said.

Perino also warned that some trade benefits that Costa Rica now enjoys under the separate Caribbean Basin Initiative could be at risk if voters decide not to join the U.S.-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) along with four of its neighbors, the United States and the Dominican Republic.

"With respect to trade preferences provided under the Caribbean Basin Initiative which will expire in September 2008, the United States has never before confronted the question of extending unilateral trade preferences to a country that has rejected a reciprocal trade agreement," Perino said.

The referendum has split Costa Rica, with President Oscar Arias and some businesses saying CAFTA will bring investment and jobs. Opponents says it will mean a flood of cheap farm imports and limit the country's sovereignty by taking investment disputes to international arbitration.

The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved the agreement in 2005, with most Democrats voting no. Many Senate Democrats were also opposed.

DEMOCRATS REASSURE VOTERS

The free trade deal locks in Costa Rica's duty-free access to the U.S. market under the Caribbean Basin Initiative and phases out many trade barriers facing U.S. manufacturers, farmers and service industry companies in Costa Rica.

Although many of the trade benefits Costa Rica currently receives are permanent, others benefiting Costa Rica's textile and tuna industries expire next year.

Democrats in Congress -- including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid -- have sought to reassure Costa Rican voters that their country would not lose trade benefits if the pact is defeated.

"Congress is constitutionally responsible for regulating international commerce. As such, we reiterate our long-standing position that preference programs should not be conditioned on a country entering into a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States," House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel said in a statement on Friday with Rep. Sander Levin, who chairs a House trade subcommittee.

Meanwhile, the Bush administration and congressional Republicans have warned there is no guarantee the Democratic-led Congress will renew the benefits that expire next year if the agreement goes down.

"Having worked to pass this deal two years ago, I know that any so-called guarantee that suggests the House will continue granting special trade status to Costa Rica indefinitely and without limits does not exist," House Republican Whip Roy Blunt said in a statement on Tuesday.

President George W. Bush's chief trade negotiator, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab, also warned Costa Rican voters this week to think twice about rejecting the pact, and the White House continued that line.

"Voters in Costa Rica should be aware that many of those assuring Costa Rica of continued access to the U.S. market have consistently opposed measures that would open the U.S. market to goods from Costa Rica and other countries," Perino said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071006/pl_ ... a_trade_dc

Free Trade = lost American jobs, lost American wages, lost American companies and found more cheap labor, illegal aliens, corporate profits

Rev. 1:1

I think Costa Rica will shoot this down, they are smarter than most Latin Americans, they don't need the globalists telling them how to live their lives or run their country. You don't see Costa Rican illegal aliens marching in the US demanging amnesty, that is because they know how to make a better life for themselves in Costa Rica. I also think they don't want the one mile wide "transcontinental highway" running through their country.

But even worse than "free trade" is one-way, inbound-only "free trade," which denies us the opportunity to sell U.S. made goods in the other direction and saddles us with a trade deficit to another country.

Econ 101

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will not renegotiate a free trade agreement with Costa Rica if voters in that country turn down the pact in a referendum on Sunday, the White House said.

Instead of bullying his way, President Bush could say, yea you guys can join anytime! Granted, this is not we here at ALIPAC want, but my point is that Bush seems to be threatening them to sign NOW! I say what's the rush, georgie? Got the NWO gitters? Jonesing for the NWO are ya? Afraid you won't get it done in time to hit your deadline which = NO BONUS?? Why threaten them, George?

Bowman wrote:

I think Costa Rica will shoot this down, they are smarter than most Latin Americans, they don't need the globalists telling them how to live their lives or run their country.

I guess the people aren't all that smart after all. A majority of the voters voted "yea" on the agreement. They were probably coned by their leadership, much like we are on a daily basis!