[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 7 (Wednesday, February 2, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      ARE TARIFFS REALLY LOWERED?

  (Mrs. BENTLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. BENTLEY. Mr. Speaker, now the real truth about the just 
completed Uruguay round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 
known as GATT, is coming out. Citing the GATT, Canadian authorities 
plan to impose tariffs up to 351 percent on certain basic farm products 
from the United States across the border.
  According to the Journal of Commerce, Canada claims that the 
authority for such astronomical tariffs is provided by the recently 
negotiated GATT and not the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, CFTA.
  These sky high tariffs would only be reduced by 15 to 36 percent over 
a 6-year period. This means that tariffs of 299 percent on imported 
butter, 245 percent on imported cheese, and 238 percent on imported 
chicken would be in effect at the end of the 6-year period, by the year 
2001. Government officials in this country repeatedly have assured each 
congressional office that CFTA, NAFTA, and GATT would lower tariffs.
  Now we learn the truth. In many instances tariffs are being raised.
  Our friendly neighbors are using the agreement to gouge U.S. 
business. Who else will gouge American business by resorting to GATT's 
cover?

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