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June 1, 1998 "Environmental groups are massing to battle a proposal to liberalize trade in forest products among Pacific Rim nations -- which they claim will only speed the exploitation of East Asia's already fast-disappearing forests." -- Science Magazine, April 1998 Proposed timber trade talks "could be used to reduce US regulation of exotic pest infestations. Potentially billions of dollars of damage could be done to the US forestry industry." -- Richard Gephardt, House Democratic Leader, April 29, 1998 DON'T TRADE AWAY OUR FORESTS *** TAKE ACTION *** TAKE ACTION *** TAKE ACTION *** Environmentalists including Pacific Environment and Resources Center and Sierra Club are sounding the alarm over a new threat to our forest heritage -- trade talks under the "NAFTA for Asia" -- the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The enviros are calling on Vice President Gore to stop US Trade Representative Charlene Barshevsky from proceeding with planned timber trade talks before trade officials meet in Malaysia on June 18-23 to finalize a work plan. At first, the enviros asked nicely. On March 25, 1998, 115 groups wrote to Amb. Barshefsky, expressing our concerns. But Amb. Barshefsky apparently stuffed our letter in the circular file and never wrote back. On April 21, 1998, several national environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club, expressed their concerns in testimony before the International Trade Commission (ITC). The ITC is conducting a study for USTR about potential impacts of the APEC timber trade plan. However, at the request of Amb. Barshefsky, the results of this study will be concealed from the public. Forests of global ecological significance across the Pacific rim are at stake in these trade talks. The APEC countries are home to 63% of the world's remaining "frontier forests" -- large relatively intact primary forest ecosystems. These forests provide habitat to rare and endangered species, sustenance to communities, and carbon sinks that mitigate global warming. From the ancient temperate forests of the US Pacific Northwest and Chile, to the tropical moist forests of South East Asia, forests are threatened by the logging that could result from a poorly executed forests products liberalization. In fact, the APEC timber trade talks are INTENDED to increase consumption and production of forest products from Pacific Rim forests. The stated goal of the talks is a reduction in the price of forest products. Logically, if prices drop, demand will rise and logging will increase. The relationship between trade liberalization and increased demand is born out by past experience. The American Forest & Paper Association boasts that production of paper and paper board production increased dramatically in the European Union, the US and Canada following the elimination of tariffs through other trade bodies. A US Department of Agriculture study also indicates that more timber would be cut from ecologically sensitive Pacific Northwest old growth forests following the elimination of restrictions on unprocessed logs from public lands, a stated goal of the APEC talks. The APEC Forest trade talks also could weaken many regulations that are in place to protect forests. These regulations include controls on log imports that protect forests from exotic pests and restrictions on exports of unprocessed logs. Based on the risks posed by weak pest control standards for invasive species to Pacific Northwest forests set by the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (aptly called "APHIS"), environmental organizations have obtained a Federal Court injunction against the issuance of new permits to import unprocessed logs from Siberia, New Zealand and Chile. Chile is attempting to intervene in this lawsuit on the grounds that the injunction is a barrier to free trade, and New Zealand has recently stated its intention to use the APEC timber trade talks to "eliminate" even the weak pest control standards that we now have. House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt underlined the serious potential environmental impacts of APEC timber trade talks in a recent letter to Amb. Barshevsky: "Proceeding with the forestry initiative without an EIA," Mr. Gephardt wrote, "might lead to a rapid increase in logging exports from forest in South East Asia. Rain[forests] and old growth forests could be decimated as precious timber resources are depleted." During the 50th Anniversary celebration of the international trading system last month in Geneva, President Clinton said, "[W]e must do more to ensure that spirited economic competition among nations never becomes a race to the bottom -- in environmental protection, consumer protections, or labor standards. We should be leveling up, not leveling down." The President's words offered environmentalists new hope of a fresh start toward an environmentally responsible trade policy. But by refusing to acknowledge any potential negative environmental impacts of the APEC timber trade talks, Amb. Barshevsky's actions flatly contradict the President's new commitments. TAKE ACTION Write, e-mail, or call VP Gore. Urge him to intervene to halt the USTR's pursuit of APEC forest products trade liberalization unless the agency:
For more info call Margrete Strand at 202-675-2387 or check out our web site at www.sierraclub.org/trade. Many thanks to PERC's Doug Norlen for a first draft of this alert. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
