Tobacco.org

Essential Action Condemns USTR Pressure on Korea 

"It is outrageous that the U.S. government is once again using its trade and foreign policy machinery to advance the interests of the tobacco merchants of death," said Robert Weissman, co-director of Essential Action, a Ralph-Nader founded corporate accountability group that works on international tobacco control issues. "When it comes to any matter relating to tobacco, the U.S. trade bureaucrats' position should be: hands off."

"The U.S. Trade Representative is up to its bad, old tricks, working on behalf of Big Tobacco," said Weissman, commenting on news reports that the U.S. Trade Representative has pressured South Korea not to raise tariffs on imported cigarettes.

In the face of reported diplomatic pressure from the United States, South Korea has backed down from plans to impose a 40 percent tariff on foreign cigarettes.

"The likely result of the U.S. action will be to raise smoking rates in Korea, especially among women and children, over what they would have been. In other words, the United States is spreading preventable death and disease."

Jump to full article »

The U.S. Trade Representative is up to its bad, old tricks, working on behalf of Big Tobacco . . . The likely result of the U.S. action will be to raise smoking rates in Korea, especially among women and children, over what they would have been. In other words, the United States is spreading preventable death and disease.
Robert Weissman. Essential Action attacks the USTR for pressuring South Korea not to raise tariffs on imported cigarettes. Weissman, R., <I>Essential Action Condemns USTR Pressure on Korea</I>