Argentina rejects WTO members’ criticisms; confirms ‘sovereign trade policies’
The Argentine government ratified its trade policies before the World Trade Organization, following the criticism of Argentine trade restrictions from twelve countries, including the US, EU and Japan, and assured it will continue to decide on its trade policies in a sovereign manner.
“It is remarkable that the initiative was brought forward by countries that have increased their exports to Argentina by 25%, thus raising their export average to the rest of the world and in a year in which Argentina was the country that increased the most its imports of G20 member products, as a way of contributing to the economic recovery of countries in economic crisis” reads the communiqué.
According to a communiqué released by the Foreign Ministry, in Friday’s WTO Goods council meeting, “some of the aspects of Argentina’s foreign trade were discussed” following the presentation done by International economic relations Secretary Cecilia Nahón.
The critical comments to Argentina were subscribed mainly by countries from the developed world among which Australia, Korea, US, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Mexico, Panama, Switzerland, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey and the EU.
However it must be underlined that Argentina’s main trade partners such as Mercosur members, most Latin American countries, China, Russia and India did not support the statement.
The Argentine communiqué also highlighted the fact that “none of the countries that participated in the goods committee meeting was able to mention a circumstance in which Argentina had violated the WTO regulations and that complaints are based upon vague information printed in local newspapers is notorious.”
Also, according to the Foreign Ministry, the press release of the complaining countries states that “we are not aware of any official regulation that determines this trade balance or investment requirement. However, Argentine Government officials have been quoted in local media saying that the purpose is to improve the trade balance by means of imports and the promotion of exports.”
“Argentina is alarmed with the insistence of countries that keep on creating artificial barriers to make it harder for developing countries’ agro-industrial products to enter, and as they politically pressure these countries to receive the products that their own domestic markets cannot absorb due to the economic crisis they are undergoing since 2008. These are the real obstacles in creating a more balanced economic system.”
“Argentina will keep on exercising the sovereign decision of its trade policies which have driven the most important economic growth in our history. We will comply with the WTO regulations but we will not accept any kind of external interference”.
The earlier release from the WTO countries remarked that the import-restrictive measures and practices that Argentina has put in place are unbefitting any WTO Member, particularly a member of the G-20 who has committed to refrain from raising new barriers to trade and investment. In light of the shared goal of making every effort to sustain global economic growth, Argentina’s measures, which clearly limit the growth-enhancing prospects for trade, are particularly troubling.
Finally the signatories of the document request that Argentina take immediate steps to address the concerns raised and that many Members have raised in the past, by removing or terminating these import-restrictive measures and practices.
If Argentina continues to maintain these import-restrictive measures and practices, Argentina should provide a detailed written explanation of why in its view these measures and practices are consistent with WTO rules. Members reserve their rights to pursue this matter further.
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And before you talk about the UN, don't make yourself look foolish by mentioning NON-BINDING resolutions which are optional and not a requirement and if that wasn't enough there are no current NON-BINDING resolutions regardless of the lies coming out of CFK's mouth.
Not to mention negotiations can't happen given your own constitution forbids them.
The complaint is about the effect of the regulations, based on the facts and figures! What ever Argentina says they are for, “it may be operating otherwise”
Argentina was not forced to join the WTO and sign the agreements, but having done so, the world does expect Argentina keep to the rules like everyone else has to.
The WTO cannot allow Argentina to change the rules it applies unilaterally. Not and remain in the organisation.
Look at who supports this criticism, some way over half the world economy.
The implications of this for Argentina are far more serious than just trying to re-right the history of the S Atlantic/Antarctica, and annoying London with spurious sovereignty claims.
Approach the WTO with the same rabid nationalism as the Falklands issue, and it will get an economic response far more damaging to ordinary Argentineans, than a salvo of British cruise missiles fired at military establishments.
Drop your subsidies which violate not WTO but human decency (dishonest cheaters), then we talk. No negotiations.
Still a fool and his/her money are easily parted as they say.
Argentina has a set of conventions which are designed to deny trade, not facilitate trade.
The two are self-evidently, incompatible.
Removal from the G20 and the WTO can be the only option for Argentina.
North Korea, Libya, Somalia, etc suffered such removals and will be welcomed back into the fold in the fullness of time; Argentina need not be gone for ever.
And remember, the Falklands is not a member of the WTO.
I don't think any of the countries will mind if Argentina leaves, it does nothing but cause problems anyway with its petulant behaviour.
However it is time Argentina was called out on its international shouting about everything to do with the UK & the Falkland's.
However unlike Argentina's claims about militarisation and everything else, these complaints are real and not fabricated by some crazy dictatorship.
Of course, we do care what you do in our ports, and then you guys get all mighty pissed if we don't want your warships in our ports, for example. We can't even exercise sovereignty over our ports without the UK posters calling us all kinds of shiit. :)
Notice I never protest when the issue is the Falklands and you guys are pissed. I would too, I understand. I only participate in topics where the Falklands is not an issue and you guys venture into railing in completely unrelated topics to the islands and Argentina's stubborness to let the islanders be left alone.
Argentina has created enemies of a lot of the international community lately.
The Argentine government reaps what is sows.
Tobias, I didn't know that you owned Peru, and as a consequence the Peruvian ports. It's kind of telling that your freudian slip just told us about your Le Camping expansionist policies of owning the territory of Peru, and I presume Chile and Paraguay while your black shirts march up there.
If that's not a veiled threat I don't know what is, Nazi.
Did not oppose them, then that’s ok,
We ll put it this way,
If CFK is right, Argentina will benefit, and the WTO can get lost,
But on the other hand, if CFK is wrong,
The WTO can carry on laughing, and the argentine people will suffer,
But make no mistake, it does not matter how deluded or stupid she is,
[she is mega rich] that’s something her loyal bloggers should think about,
For it is aways the people that suffer their incompetent governments logic.
Is this not true,
.
You guys still insulted us then. So Peru is irrelevant, you have proven you would get mad whether it was in all the world or only in Argentina. Which proves you don't respect our sovereignty.
Tell us, Le Camping Gimp.
Argentina formally accuses the US and EU of hypocrites and being the nations that most impede international trade in the world. Citing:
“Among the 157 WTO members, the two countries in WTO accused of breaching the rules and formally accused by other members of impeding trade are the United States with 114, and the European Union with 70. Argentina only has 17 complaints against it. They are the real responsibles for restricting world trade, to protect their declining share of the pie.
Argentina will neither allow nor tolerate any internal or external influences to alter our trade practices which seem to have the goal of making Argentina the backdoor plan for the industrial sectors of developed nations who have been in crisis since 2008. Argentina will retaliate in kind if it is required”.
www.lanacion.com.ar/1461356-argentina-evalua-frenar-el-ingreso-de-autos-mexicanos
In another front, Argentina just announced it's considering blocking Mexican auto imports, unless the Mexicans regenotiate the 2002 auto treaty. Since Argentina has a 1.5 billion dollar deficit with Mexico in this area, “it would be in their best interest to comply”. Argentina said it would not pursue this if Mexico drops their WTO complaint.
Argentina has also warmed Mercosur members that the restrictions of Paraguayan, Uruguayan, and Brazilian products is internal Argentine policy. It also announced to Chile to prepare for losing natural gas from Argentina because of demand inside the country.
www.losandes.com.ar/notas/2012/3/31/gobierno-retruca-eeuu-denuncia-ante-633349.asp
Argentina also will intimate the governments of Israel, Switzerland, Panama, and Costa Rica to explain their posture to Cristina Fernandez. It also announced it will not reconsider blocks on Chinese goods despite their protest
www.sitioandino.com/nota/31797-china-tambien-protesta-por-las-trabas-aunque-por-ahora-evita-represalias/
Really Tobias, you need to remove that woman from power before your nation suffers terrible financial hardship yet again with these bizarre economic and international policies that seemingly only make sense to CFK.
In Europe the British have been opposing agricultural subsidies for decades now. Margaret Thatcher famously argued for, and got, an annual rebate for Britain, for the part of it contributions to the EU budget that would have gone to pay agricultural subsidies. That rebate is still paid to this day. The more money Europe spends on agricultural subsidies, the more money Britain gets back.
You can imagine how popular this arrangement is with the French, Belgians, Italians, and a few others.
The dispute (and we can now officially call it that) between Argentina and the WTO, is not about the subsidies, or even the terms of trade, it is about Argentina breaking agreements it freely signed up to.
Added to this Argentina has the same dispute with its mercosur partners, the US wanting debts paid (and are not taking no for an answer), falling gas and oil production ect, ect, ect.
Warmongering S. Atlantic Pirates, would seem to be the least of CFK’s problems right now.
@ 25 Truth_Telling_Troll
Fix bayonets, and when you here the whistle, climb the ladder and go over the top, walk don’t run.
Even a pyrrhic victory is too much to hope for here, remember what happened to Paraguay when it tried to taken on some of S. America, never mind most of the rest of the world.
The world only cares to destroy Argentina, but if we go down, we are taking as many as we can with us. :)
It's really not like that.
Argentina is in economic collapse and is seeking to do everything it can to slow it down. The WTO/IMF and all of the other bodies complaining about Argentina are doing so because Argentina has chosen to violate agreements. So all of this being caused by Argentina's policy and not by the world picking on Argentina.
I do actually sympathies with Argentina, it has a choice it can either slow down the inevitable collapse or carry on trading in the way it promised to do so. However and rather ironically its policies to slow down the economic collapse look like they will accelerate it as it going to be punished for violating its international treaties once more.
Here's a genuine question for you, do you feel shame for your country once more violating agreements and lying to the international community?
Remember the last two times Argentina “collapsed”.
2001 IMF led world conspiracy: it took the southern cone with it (Brazil and Chile went into recession, Chile for the first time in 12 years, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay went into massive depressions, Peru lost a massive remittence dollar inflow), and Ecuador and Venezuela in currency contagion. Kirchner came to power.
1980-1982 nationalization of private debt: almost 300 british men died needlessly, Argentina almost (if not did) build nukes causing Brazil to go bankrupt in a nuke race with us and creating the Brady Bond crisis all over Latin America: within 3 years all of the nations of Latin America had defaulted due to the contagion.
I think that is why the world is not far more indulgent, for all the bluster that Argentina does not matter, the last two times it went down it caused the world a lot of headache, heartache, cost billions, and even hundreds of lives.
Le Camping Rule 2.3.47 “There is a world conspiracy against Argentina. Talk about it a lot.”
Argentina is a big fish in a small pond in SA.
Believe it or not, I do not want Argentina to fail as the misery it will cause to the good, honest and decent people of Argentina will be painful to watch.
I do however think you are trying to circumvent Argentina's actions by blaming other trade subsidies that have been in place for a long time. This isn't a level playing field and even with some of the subsidies Argentina as a developing economy should still be far cheaper than the developed economies of the west so blaming Argentina's protectionism on farming subsidies isn't really a cohesive argument.
I'd love to see Argentina gain a progressive and democratic government that seek peace with its SA neighbours and also work with the people of the Falkland Islands.
What I do not want to see is either Britain pummel the Argentine forces into dust or for the Argentine economy to fail and the later is in its final stages.
We don't need anymore wars, either politically, economically or militarily, so I hope someone can provide CFK with some sense because at least one if not several are about to happen.
The Falklands are safe, so the rest here is unimportant to the UK. We will put the barriers needed to counter subsidies. We don't do subsidies so this is our way.
By signing into these groups countries have the chance to increase trade and ensure trade is followed in a open and specific way but the obvious downside is they have to relinquish some of the control they have in their trading rules/standards.
So Argentina is free to leave should it wish to follow its own agenda.
Remember what happened when Argentina told the IMF to leave and paid them off? Everyonre was warning that it would be a disaster for the economy that it would isolate Argentina (this was in 2004)... Nothing happened. Everyone continued trading with us.
Same with the World Bank pay-off... oh no, Argentina needs to keep borrowing from the World Bank or it will be disaster.
Nothing happened.
I have no doubt that now the same is the case. In Spanish the saying is “Por dinero baila el mono” (Even monkeys will dance for money). Whether Argentina is in WTO or not, the rest of the world will not simply stop trading with us because all they care about is money.
You need stop blaming everyone else for the economic disaster that is Argentina. I know you're programmed to do this by La Campora, but it's not believable.
and all she will do is talk.
most decent argentinians will just ignore her rantings,
and her indovrinated bloggers will pray for their beloved queen,
and the world will just laugh.
go catcha shark .
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