WTO Orders Sanctions Unless US Cuts Consumer Labels, Disproving Obama TPP Claims

Yesterday's World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling against the country-of-origin meat labels (COOL) that Americans rely on to make informed choices about their food provides a glaring example of how trade agreements can undermine U.S. public interest policies. The WTO authorized over $1 billion annually in trade sanctions against the United States unless and until the popular consumer policy is weakened or eliminated.

The ruling is a nightmare for the Obama administration's uphill battle to build support for the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). It makes clear that trade agreements can -- and do -- threaten even the most favored U.S. public interest safeguards.

Claims to the contrary have been a mainstay of the White House effort to overcome TPP opposition from an unprecedentedly diverse coalition of organizations and members of Congress. That opposition was only solidified when the recent release of the final TPP text revealed the pact was even worse than expected.

The massive text largely reflects the interests of the 500 official U.S. trade advisors representing corporate interests that had privileged access while the public, Congress and the press were shut out the secretive process: investor privileges that make it easier to offshore American jobs to low wage countries and retrograde terms that expose U.S. food safety, environmental, Internet freedom, health and other safeguards to attack and rollback.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lori-wallach/wto-orders-sanctions-unle_b_8748594.html

I disagree with Ms. Wallace on her claim that the administration is facing an uphill battle in passing the TPP. Passage of the TPA assured passage of the TPP. That was the real vote.