Jump to full article: AP, 2009-10-30
Author: BRUCE SCHREINER (AP)
Intro: Tobacco advocates are seething over a new Canadian law they claim will snuff out sales of cigarettes packed with U.S. burley, and they are fighting back to protect their export sales.
They are asking U.S. trade officials to take their complaints to the World Trade Organization, hoping to pressure the Canadians into protecting burley from the tobacco crackdown. They also want to head off the spread of similar laws to other foreign markets that are crucial consumers of American leaf.
Export markets are "absolutely critical" to the tobacco industry, and a spread of similar laws to other countries "could have an absolutely devastating economic impact" on the sector, said Erica Peterson, executive vice president of the North Carolina Agribusiness Council.
The Canadian law won final approval this month. It is meant to curtail youth smoking in part by banning the sale of tobacco scented with fruit and candy flavors. U.S. tobacco supporters complain that the law overreached to cover American burley, which is laced with flavors to smooth its harsh taste.
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