ATPA REWARDS PENALIZE OTHER U.S. PARTNERS

To the Editor:

I am writing in reference to your March 20 op-ed page article entitled
"To help win war on drugs, just say yes to ATPA," by John Walters,
director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

While we appreciate the fact that the United States wanted to
encourage and reward the Andean countries in their efforts to combat
narcotic drugs through the Andean Trade Preferences Act (ATPA), it
should be noted that the expansion of privileges to be extended would
greatly affect other countries.

I am referring to a new provision under consideration to grant
duty-free status to canned tuna exports from the Andean countries.
Though perhaps not the intent of its supporters, this provision would,
in effect, destroy the level playing field in the trade in canned
tuna, and would unavoidably lead to severe economic consequences for
the tuna industries of countries not benefiting from the ATPA.

Endeavors to encourage the Andean countries to combat narcotic drugs
should therefore also take into account the bill's detrimental effect
upon the other countries, including Thailand, the Philippines and
Indonesia -- countries which are also cooperating closely with the
United States, not only in the suppression of narcotic drugs, but also
in the global campaign against terrorism, and whose continued support
and cooperation are certainly no less important.

I hope that this perspective will also be noted both by your newspaper
as well as by members of the House and Senate as they consider this
issue.

Siriporn Supanimitwisetkul,

Information Officer,

Royal Thai Embassy

Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n000/a031.html