Zona de Livre-Comércio entre os Estados Unidos e a União Europeia, tal como confirmada pelo discurso sobre o
State of the Union do presidente Obama na noite de ontem (12/02/2013), seria a maior ZLC do mundo, mas é um acordo complicado de sair, não necessariamente por causa de tarifas altas ou protecionismo setorial, mas por causa das muitas regras específicas que regulam determinados fluxos comerciais ou de serviços, as obsessões europeias com trasnsgênicos, por exemplo, ou as preocupações americanas com propriedade intelectual e coisas do gênero. Acho que vai ser complicado, mas se sair vai ser estupendo.
Escrevi um artigo sobre isto, que deve estar sendo publicado nos próximos dias, e postarei aqui quando o for, num jornal eletrônico de nome bizarro, e que atente pelo título de
O Debatedouro (enfim, tudo é possível).
Por enquanto fiquem com a visão dos congressistas americanos sobre o assunto.
Paulo Roberto de Almeida
Baucus, Hatch Outline Priorities for Potential U.S.-EU Trade Agreement
Access for U.S. Agriculture Exports, Strong Intellectual Property
Protection and Dispute Settlement among Finance Leaders’ Priorities
Washington, DC – Senate Finance
Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch
(R-Utah) today laid out their priorities to United States Trade
Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk for a potential free trade agreement
(FTA) between the U.S. and European Union (EU). In their letter to
Ambassador Kirk, the senators set high-standard expectations for any
FTA.
“A comprehensive U.S.-EU FTA, negotiated and implemented with
the highest standards, would have a multiplier effect and would be
certain to generate much needed economic growth on both sides of the
Atlantic,” the Finance leaders wrote.
“There is no
doubt that a U.S.-EU FTA is an enticing opportunity. While there is much
promise in the U.S.-European Union relationship, there are remaining
barriers to free and fair trade that are long-standing and difficult to
overcome.”
The senators identified several priorities ahead of any negotiation process, including:
Access for U.S. agricultural exports like beef and pork.Strong
intellectual property protection. Access for U.S. services
exports. Regulatory compliance. A mechanism for dispute settlement.
They also wrote that they intend to push for renewal of Trade
Promotion Authority (TPA), saying it will enable the consideration and
completion of a successful U.S.-EU FTA. TPA expired in 2007.
The Finance Committee has jurisdiction over international trade.
The full text of the letter is below:
February 12, 2013
Ambassador Ron Kirk
United States Trade Representative
Office of the United States Trade Representative
600 17th Street NW
Washington, DC 20508
Dear Ambassador Kirk:
As you explore the possibility of entering into negotiations towards a
free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU), we believe it
is important to outline our expectations regarding the outcome of any
such negotiations.
There is no doubt that a U.S.-EU FTA is an enticing opportunity. As
the administration has noted, “transatlantic trade and investment
constitutes the largest economic relationship in the world, creating
jobs, increasing economic growth, and driving competitiveness on both
sides of the Atlantic.” A comprehensive U.S.-EU FTA, negotiated and
implemented with the highest standards, would have a multiplier effect
and would be certain to generate much needed economic growth on both
sides of the Atlantic.
While there is much promise in the relationship, there are remaining
barriers to free and fair trade that are long-standing and difficult.
While not a complete list, we have outlined below several elements that a
successful negotiation must address.
Broad bipartisan Congressional support for expanding trade with the
EU depends, in large part, on lowering trade barriers for American
agricultural products. This means increased agricultural market access
and firm commitments to base sanitary and phytosanitary measures on
sound science. The EU has historically imposed sanitary and
phytosanitary measures that act as significant barriers to U.S.-EU
trade, including the EU’s restrictions on genetically engineered crops, a
ban on the use of hormones in cattle, restrictions on pathogen
reduction treatments in poultry, pork and beef, unscientific
restrictions on the use of safe feed additives such as ractopamine in
beef and pork, and other barriers to trade affecting a significant
portion of U.S. agricultural exports. While we recognize the positive
steps the EU has recently taken with respect to imports of beef washed
with lactic acid and with respect to swine, there is still much work to
be done. We urge you to resolve these and other unwarranted agricultural
barriers as part of the FTA negotiations on both an individual and a
systemic basis.
Congressional support will also require strong intellectual property
protection. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, intellectual
property intensive industries support at least 40 million jobs and
contribute more than $5.06 trillion dollars to, or nearly 34.8 percent
of, U.S. gross domestic product. Intellectual property is America’s
competitive advantage, underpinning a wide range of industries including
manufacturing, food processing, information and communications
technology, entertainment, biotech, pharmaceuticals and financial
services. It is imperative that U.S. trade agreements protect U.S.
innovation and allow our innovative industries to compete in global
markets.
As the U.S. and EU are the two most innovative economies in the
world, any successful agreement between us must promote the highest
standards of intellectual property protection. While we recognize that
intellectual property protection in the EU is generally of a high
standard, there are certainly areas where improvement is needed and must
be achieved. It is also critical that the United States strongly
promote the interests of U.S. businesses, farmers, ranchers, and workers
with respect to EU policies, including geographical indications, that
impede their ability to compete. In addition, the agreement must
meaningfully address EU measures that undermine the value of
intellectual property protection, including with respect to pricing and
reimbursement and regulatory transparency. Finally, it is essential to
ensure that any outcome of this agreement does not undermine the ability
of the United States to achieve high levels of IP protection in other
negotiations and other foreign markets.
Regulatory compliance is an enormous driver of cost and inefficiency
for U.S. exporters of goods and services across the globe. There would
no doubt be enormous benefits to be gained from increased regulatory
harmonization between the U.S. and the EU, especially as both have
highly developed regulatory systems in place. However, any efforts
towards these ends must not weaken regulatory commitments, such as
through adoption of the so-called precautionary principle. Therefore, a
high standard U.S.-EU FTA will necessarily promote greater openness and
transparency in regulatory processes, prohibit practices that
discriminate or create non-tariff barriers to U.S. exports, and promote
acceptance of the full-range of international standards.
A U.S.-EU FTA agreement should lead the way in defining a 21st
century FTA that establishes comprehensive market access by eliminating
or significantly reducing tariffs without regard to product category. A
high-standard agreement will provide similarly comprehensive market
access and national treatment for services.
Of course, it is vital that there be a mechanism to settle any
disputes which may arise under a U.S.-EU FTA. In order to be more than a
paper tiger, any such dispute mechanism must contain strong and binding
enforcement provisions.
A high-standard, comprehensive, U.S.-EU FTA could serve to
reinvigorate the global trade agenda, setting the standard for all FTAs
to follow. While there are numerous challenges to be addressed, it is
our hope that the framework we have outlined above provides useful
guidance as you negotiate the path forward.
Finally, as you know, Trade Promotion Authority expired in 2007. We
believe its renewal will enable completion and consideration of a
successful U.S.-EU FTA. Therefore, we intend to intensify efforts to
ensure prompt consideration and renewal of Trade Promotion Authority. It
is our hope and expectation that the Administration will join us in
these efforts.
Sincerely,
Max Baucus
Chairman
Orrin G. Hatch
Ranking Member
