Enjoy!
http://washingtontradedaily.com/2012wtdpodcast0713updated.mp3
Friday, July 13, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
Way to Go USTR
Someone here goofed at the planned Independence Day fireworks celebration – and all the fireworks from three barges went off at the same time. It was spectacular, but lasted only 30 seconds.
I was talking to one US negotiator here who also saw the beautiful fiasco. He compared the fireworks display to the end of the TransPacific Partnership negotiations going on here. He suggested that the slow but steady pace of the TPP negotiations might end the same way – with a lot of nose-to-the-grindstone negotiating leading eventually to a successful and spectacularly colorful and successful ending – all at once.
The word here is that negotiators from the nine-member states of the TPP – the United States, Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia – are moving steadily ahead in settling on a lot of the legal language in 22 of the 29 chapters in an eventual final accord. Work on the tougher issues will happen later in the year – and probably after US elections in November and Canada’s and Mexico’s formal entry into the talks in December.
There was another blow-up of sorts here ignited by Washington Trade Daily. About the only interest the US Trade Representative could drum up from the legitimate press was WTD’s entire staff of two, an early arrival and early departure of one reporter from Inside US Trade, a San Diego Examiner local events reporter – really working for a Public Citizen-type anti-TPP group and a local Associated Press reporter. Also invited and credentialed was a so-called "reporter" from Op-Ed News – who turned out to be an anti-TPP blogger, dominating the brief press meeting with the chief US negotiator.
After dominating nearly half of the allocated 30-minutes for a background press briefing with absurd and preplanned questions/statements against the TPP to the assistant USTR, leaving the chief US negotiating sitting dumbfounded all the while, I loudly protested saying that others should have an opportunity to ask questions. I was quickly put down by USTR’s chief press handler saying she was in charge of the press conference, not me. I stormed out in protest – igniting my own set of fireworks.
The long, incorrect and near libelous article published by OpEdNews concluded with "STOP TPP." Legitimate news outlet, USTR?
Another "legitimate" press outlet here credentialed by USTR is Geneva Watch – an operation owned by Dairy Farmers of Canada.
Good show USTR!
Jim Berger
I was talking to one US negotiator here who also saw the beautiful fiasco. He compared the fireworks display to the end of the TransPacific Partnership negotiations going on here. He suggested that the slow but steady pace of the TPP negotiations might end the same way – with a lot of nose-to-the-grindstone negotiating leading eventually to a successful and spectacularly colorful and successful ending – all at once.
The word here is that negotiators from the nine-member states of the TPP – the United States, Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam and Malaysia – are moving steadily ahead in settling on a lot of the legal language in 22 of the 29 chapters in an eventual final accord. Work on the tougher issues will happen later in the year – and probably after US elections in November and Canada’s and Mexico’s formal entry into the talks in December.
There was another blow-up of sorts here ignited by Washington Trade Daily. About the only interest the US Trade Representative could drum up from the legitimate press was WTD’s entire staff of two, an early arrival and early departure of one reporter from Inside US Trade, a San Diego Examiner local events reporter – really working for a Public Citizen-type anti-TPP group and a local Associated Press reporter. Also invited and credentialed was a so-called "reporter" from Op-Ed News – who turned out to be an anti-TPP blogger, dominating the brief press meeting with the chief US negotiator.
After dominating nearly half of the allocated 30-minutes for a background press briefing with absurd and preplanned questions/statements against the TPP to the assistant USTR, leaving the chief US negotiating sitting dumbfounded all the while, I loudly protested saying that others should have an opportunity to ask questions. I was quickly put down by USTR’s chief press handler saying she was in charge of the press conference, not me. I stormed out in protest – igniting my own set of fireworks.
The long, incorrect and near libelous article published by OpEdNews concluded with "STOP TPP." Legitimate news outlet, USTR?
Another "legitimate" press outlet here credentialed by USTR is Geneva Watch – an operation owned by Dairy Farmers of Canada.
Good show USTR!
Jim Berger
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
NEGOTIATORS IN PARADISE -- BUT WHERE'S CANADA, WHERE'S MEXICO?
Riddle – When is a TransPacific Partnership negotiator not a TransPacific Partnership negotiator? When he or she is Canadian or Mexico.
WTD is covering the week-and-a-half long TPP negotiators in San Diego, where the United States is snapping the whip – making negotiators work "around the clock" to start wrapping up as much as possible so they can provide a decent report to their leaders in mid-September at the Asia-Pacific Partnership leaders’ meeting in Vladivostok.
But where’s Canada; where’s Mexico?
When the nine TPP nations – of the United States, Chile, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei – "invited" the two big economies into the group in May, it was found later that the invitations were for the later in the year.
But Canada and Mexico can’t even be observers. Nor, apparently, can they be stakeholders. Each formal round has hosted a semi-open event with interested stakeholders groups to show their wares and converse with interested delegations, the press and each other.
When WTD got here, we half expected that Ottawa and Mexico City would at least have a "table" at the stakeholder event. But neither flag is in sight.
(p.s. – The entire stateside staff of WTD – myself and my wife, Mary – is here to cover the event. It would have been very dangerous for me if I had left her behind in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. as the heat wave, with temperatures exceeding 95-plus degrees Fahrenheit and no air conditioning since the electricity has been off after a brief storm cut through the area almost a week ago. Thanks to the TPP and San Diego for saving my marriage!)
Jim Berger
Sunday, July 1, 2012
COWBOYS AND INDIANS
Not only does WTD have to worry about being right most of the time on what is happening behind closed doors at the World Trade Organization, but we have to contend with accusations from Deputy US Trade Representative Michael Punke in Geneva that we constantly side with the Indian point of view about almost everything that happens there.
Bunk!
Why does USTR make that assumption? Could it be that our correspondent in Geneva is named Ravi and is a citizen of India?
This accusation was again raised last week about a story we carried on negotiations regarding streamlined accession for least developed countries to the WTO. We were told a particular story was written from India’s point of view and failed to reflect the US position. In addition it was totally wrong, we were told.
Hold your horses Mr. Punke – himself a resident of the wild West state of Montana and a transplant from his native Wyoming via Washington, D.C.
While we never reveal our sources unless spelled out in our stories, our reporter did not get his information from Indian sources. Rather it came from a highly-placed and credible least- developed country negotiator who has been integrally involved in the sometimes testy discussions.
So upset was the deputy USTR about our story that the next day he told his fellow negotiators in a closed-door meeting that he wanted no information to leave the room, specifically saying he didn’t want WTD to know anything about what was being discussed.
Coincidentally, at the very moment that the Deputy US Trade Representative was giving out his command, a senior LDC negotiator was on his cell phone chatting with none other than WTD’s Ravi Kanth. The negotiator, being a forthright fellow, immediately announced to Mr. Punke whom he was talking to.
Mr. Punke, according to our sources in the room, immediately assured the negotiator that he was not pointing a finger at him – but at someone else he knew to be spilling the beans to WTD.
But USTR, indeed, is pointing a finger – at the Indian delegation they assume is feeding us information. They are not.
Maybe it’s the old story of the cowboys versus Indians.
Jim and Mary Berger
Bunk!
Why does USTR make that assumption? Could it be that our correspondent in Geneva is named Ravi and is a citizen of India?
This accusation was again raised last week about a story we carried on negotiations regarding streamlined accession for least developed countries to the WTO. We were told a particular story was written from India’s point of view and failed to reflect the US position. In addition it was totally wrong, we were told.
Hold your horses Mr. Punke – himself a resident of the wild West state of Montana and a transplant from his native Wyoming via Washington, D.C.
While we never reveal our sources unless spelled out in our stories, our reporter did not get his information from Indian sources. Rather it came from a highly-placed and credible least- developed country negotiator who has been integrally involved in the sometimes testy discussions.
So upset was the deputy USTR about our story that the next day he told his fellow negotiators in a closed-door meeting that he wanted no information to leave the room, specifically saying he didn’t want WTD to know anything about what was being discussed.
Coincidentally, at the very moment that the Deputy US Trade Representative was giving out his command, a senior LDC negotiator was on his cell phone chatting with none other than WTD’s Ravi Kanth. The negotiator, being a forthright fellow, immediately announced to Mr. Punke whom he was talking to.
Mr. Punke, according to our sources in the room, immediately assured the negotiator that he was not pointing a finger at him – but at someone else he knew to be spilling the beans to WTD.
But USTR, indeed, is pointing a finger – at the Indian delegation they assume is feeding us information. They are not.
Maybe it’s the old story of the cowboys versus Indians.
Friday, June 29, 2012
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