If I ’ m a the boss of Trans- National Corporate (TNC) …… -What is WTO By Suzanne Wu (Hong Kong Peoples ’ Alliance on WTO, HKPA)

What I want? Rich Richer The richest in the World Maximize the profit

How can I achieve this? Cheap labour Cheap land Low/No tax or tariff Less regulation: labour, security, environmental protection, etc. Ask for subsidies from Government Minimize the cost

More people buy my products/service Sell to people all over the world Market Access Create more market Privatization

Less competitors Get the market share in other countries before the local competitors grow up ‘ Non-discriminated Policy ’ No one can sell the same products Copyright and patent

Who can help me?

Let me create a …… WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO)

So …… Cheap labour Move to place with cheap labour WTO says, ‘ Free flow of capital! ’ ‘ No foreign exchange control! ’ TRIMS: Agreement on Trade Related Investment Measures

So …… Cheap labour Import cheap labour from other countries WTO says, ‘ Natural person as temporary “ service providers ” ! ’ Mode 4 in General Agreement on Trade in Service (GATS) NO MORE LABOUR, BUT COMMODITY Labour right is undermined Bain drain GATS: General Agreement on Trade in Service

So …… Cheap land Move to developing countries WTO says, ‘ Free flow of capital! ’ ‘ No foreign exchange control ’ Unemployment Income of the Government decrease Budget cut in social and public service TRIMS: Agreement on Trade Related Investment Measures

So …… Low/No tax or tariff WTO says, ‘ Tax/tariff is trade barriers! ” Unemployment Income of the Government decrease Budget cut in social and public service GATT: General Agreement on Tarffi and Trade

So …… Less regulation: labour, environmental protection, etc. WTO says, ‘ All regulations are non-tariff trade barriers! ” Minimize protection to labour, environment, indigenous people and grassroots Natural resources turn into profit in the pocket of TNC Lack of social security Extreme disparity between the rich and the poor GATT: General Agreement on Tariff and Trade NAMA:Non-agricultural Market Access

So …… Ask for subsidies from Government WTO says, ‘ Subsidies which will not distort the market should be allowed! ’ Dumping happen: rice, maize, soy, sugar flood into the market of developing countries with price lower than the cost Local peasants lose land and job, but gain debt because their products is not ‘ cheaper ’ than the subsidies overseas one, hence starve, force migration and even suicide … AoA: Agreement on Agricultural

So …… More people buy my products Sell to people all over the world WTO says, ‘ Countries should allow foreign products and service come in! ’ TNC defeat the local companies because of enormous gap in capitals and scale Local people loss the job and have to work for the TNC sweatshop since they aim at lowest cost GATT: General Agreement on Tarffi and Trade GATS: General Agreement on Trade in Service

So …… Create more market WTO says, ‘ Private operation is more effective than public! ’ Government carry out privatization, sell the property, water, health care, education and other public service to TNC. Fee increase, bipolarization of service, no guarantee for basic living protection.

So …… Less competitors Get the market share in other countries before the local competitors grow up WTO says, ‘ Non-discriminated Policy for service! ’ Government cannot provide support or subsides to local service providers, even they are charities, since it is not ‘ FAIR ’ to TNC. Grassroots cannot enjoy quality service because they are good service in private sector mean expensive, and the GATS: General Agreement on Trade in Service

So …… No one can sell the same products WTO says, ‘ Copyright and patent should last for 20 years! ’ Poor patient cannot afford the expensive drugs, millions die of curable diseases. South countries face difficulties in development since most of the high technology are patents under TNC. TRIPS:Agreement on Trade- Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights

In short …… WTO is tailor-made for TNC, for profit making There is no human right in the eyes of WTO

People have to …… Stop the commodification of people and environment Against the undemocratic and operation non-transparent trade negotiation