• March 2007. Oxfam Briefing Paper #102. All costs, no benefits: How TRIPS-plus intellectual property rules in the US-Jordan FTA affect access to medicines.

Trade Deal Between Congressional Democrats and Bush Administration Trade Officials

• May 14, 2007. Knowledge Ecology International. KEI Statement on IPR/Health aspects of bipartisan "New Trade Policy."

• Government Documents
  • May, 11, 2007. Bipartisan Agreement on Trade Policy: Intellectual Property Provisions.
  • May 10, 2007. Congressional Democrats' Concept Statement on Peru & Panama FTA Changes.
  • May 10, 2007. Statement from Ambassador Susan C. Schwab on U.S. trade agenda.
  • April 30, 2007. Dear Colleague letter from Rep. Tom Allen. Public Health Issues in Trade Agreements.
  • March 12, 2007. Reps. Waxman, Allen, McDermott, Doggett, Schakowski, Stark, DeGette, Van Hollen, Lee, Blumenauer, Lewis and Emanuel. Letter to U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab.

• NGO Documents

  • May 14, 2007. Joint Statement from Health GAP, Essential Action and the Student Global AIDS Campaign. Reaction from Public Health, AIDS organizations to Democratic Leadership-Bush Administration Announcement on Trade Policy.

• Industry Statements

  • May 11, 2007. National Association of Manufacturers. NAM Seeks To Move Ahead With Trade Policy.

• News Stories
  • May 18, 2007. Inside U.S. Trade. Brand-Name Drug Industry Alarmed At IPR Precedent Of FTA Template.
  • May 17, 2007. Sarah Lueck for the Wall Street Journal. In Trade Deal, a Shift on Generics Agreement Opens the Door To Cheaper Drugs Abroad, Easing Some Patent Rules.
  • May 17, 2007. Martin Vaughan for Intellectual Property Watch. US To Loosen Drug Patent Provisions In Some Trade Deals.
  • May 17, 2007. Martin Vaughan for National Journal's Congress Daily. Drug Firms Look To Limit Deal's Impact.
  • May 16, 2007. Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest. White House, Democrats Reach Deal on Bilateral FTAs, Sparking Hopes for TPA.
  • May 11, 2007. Sarah Lueck, John McKinnon and Greg Hitt for the Wall Street Journal. Bush, Congress Agree On Trade Standards.
  • May 11, 2007. Inside US Trade. New FTA Template Alters Brand-Name Drug Protections.
  • May 11, 2007. Peter S. Goodman and Lori Montgomery for the Washington Post. Path Is Cleared For Trade Deals.
  • May 11, 2007. Ian Swanson for the Hill. Despite deal, future of some trade accords is uncertain.
  • May 11, 2007. Steven R. Weisman for the International Herald Tribune. Democrats and White House reach trade compromise.
  • May 3, 2007. Ian Swanson for the Hill. Drug makers fear trade deal from House Dems, administration.

Status of FTAs With Peru, Colombia and Panama

• January 2007. Letter from 16 New York Labor Leaders to Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Rangel The writers ask Rangel to renegotiate harmful provisions in the Free Trade Agreements with Peru and Colombia, including "regressive intellectual property rules that will drive up the cost of medicines."
• January 18, 2007. AFL-CIO Weblog. Bush Administration Backpedals on Trade Statement.
• January 18, 2007. Associated Press. U.S. seeking to alter 3 trade accords.
• January 17, 2007. Inside U.S. Trade. Veroneau Signals U.S. Willingness To Renegotiate Labor In Peru, Colombia FTAs.
• November 14, 2006. Peter Goodman for the Washington Post. Election Alters Trade Climate - Democrats Eye Environmental, Labor Clauses.

• Regional FTAs

  • US - Andean FTA
  • Central American Free Trade Agreement
  • South African Customs Union FTA
  • Free Trade Area of the Americas

• Bilateral FTAs

  • FTAs Still Under Negotiation
    • Korea
    • Malaysia
    • Thailand
  • Concluded FTAs with the US approved by the House and Senate
    • Jordan
    • Singapore
    • Chile
    • Australia
    • Morocco
    • Bahrain
  • Negotiated FTAs with the US not yet approved by the House and Senate
    • Oman
    • Colombia
    • Peru
  • Older Bilateral Agreements on Intellectual Property.

• CPTech page on WTO
• CPTech Page on Trade Promotion Authority Legislation
• March 3, 2006. Mike Palmedo, Access Issues. Workshop on "IP, FTAs and Sustainable Development" Highlights Continuing US Pressures on Trading Partners to Toughen IP.
  

U.S. Government Documents

Congressional Documents

• March 12, 2007. Reps. Waxman, Allen, McDermott, Doggett, Schakowski, Stark, DeGette, Van Hollen, Lee, Blumenauer, Lewis and Emanuel. Letter to U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab.
• March 2007. Oxfam Briefing Paper #102. All costs, no benefits: How TRIPS-plus intellectual property rules in the US-Jordan FTA affect access to medicines.
• December 21, 2005. Congressional Research Service. Intellectual Property and the Free Trade Agreements: Innovation Policy Issues.
• September 14, 2005. Press release from Sen. Stabenow's office. Stabenow Wins Senate Support to Keep U.S. Treaties Free of Bans against Reimportation of Prescription Drugs. Includes the text of the legislation (which is an amendment to an appropriations bill).
• June 9, 2005. House Committee on Government Reform - Minority Staff. Special Investigations Division. Report prepared for Rep. Henry Waxman. Trade Agreements and Access to Medications Under the Bush Administration.
• June 9, 2005. Press release from Henry Waxman. CAFTA Hinders Developing Nations' Access to Needed Medicines.

USTR Documents

• April 30, 2007. USTR Special 301 Report
  • Government Documents
    • Full Text of the 301 Report
    • Press Release
  • Statements
    • KEI. Statement on USTR 301 list reference to Thailand.
    • Essential Action. USTR Action Against Thailand Outrageous, Cynical, Shameful.
    • IP Justice. 2007 USTR Special 301 Report: US Dictates Domestic Policies on Intellectual Property to Foreign Nations
  • News Stories
    • May 1, 2007. Associated Press. Thailand to talk with U.S. about drug patents after being targeted for copyright violations.
    • April 30, 2007. Reuters. U.S. chides Thailand for overriding drug patents.
    • April 30, 2007. Bruce Japsen for the Chicago Tribune. Thailand scolded over not honoring patents.
    • April 30, 2007. William New for IP-Watch. USTR Toughens IP Stance On China, Russia, Thailand; Praises EU, Brazil.
• 2006. National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers
• April 28, 2006. USTR 301 report
  • Press release
  • Note on data exclusivity and linkage from Brook Baker of Health GAP.
• April 30, 2005. USTR 301 report
  • April 30, 2005. Press release.
  • List of Countries Included.
  • PhRMA Submission to USTR for the 301 Report
• 2004 Special 301 Report
  • May 3, 2004. TEXT OF THE SPECIAL 301 REPORT.
  • May 4, 2004 Brook Baker for Health GAP. USTR's 2004 Special 301 Report Highlights the U.S.'s Global Ambition to Use Heightened Protection of Innovators' Drug Registration Data to Block and Delay Registration of Competing Generic Drugs.
  • May 3, 2004. PhRMA press release. PhRMA Applauds USTR “Special 301” Annual Report For Targeting Market Access Barriers.
  • February 12, 2004. PhRMA Submission to the USTR for the 301 report.
  • News Stories
    • May 4, 2004. Martin Crutsinger for the Associated Press. Administration cites 52 trading partners for abuses of intellectual property rights.
    • May 4, 2004. Ela Dutt for the Economic Times of India. US Govt puts India on IPR priority watch list.
    • May 4, 2004. The Chosen Ilbo. U.S. Trade Rep. Places Korea on Its 'Priority Watch List.'
    • May 4, 2004. Hadas Manor for Globes. US lifts intellectual property blacklist threat - The US Trade Representative nevertheless expressed serious concerns about data exclusivity for drug registration files.
• Other USTR Documents
  • November 15, 2004. Press release. U.S. Announces Intent to Negotiate FTAs with UAE and Oman.
  • July 9, 2004. "Trade Facts" - Access to Medicines.
  • 2004 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers.
  • December 3, 2003. Robert Zoellick. Letter to US Office of Management and Budget about "Competitive Liberalization" Strategy to Simultaneously Negotiate Many FTAs at Once.
  • PhRMA 2003 Submission to the USTR for the 301 Report.)
  • 2003 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers.

NGO Documents

• Joint NGO letters

  • October 25, 2004. Health GAP, Essential Action, Oxfam America, Center For Policy Analysis on Trade and Health, and the Student Global AIDS Campaign. Letter to John Kerry on TRIPS-Plus Provisions in Bilateral and Regional FTAs.
  • May 27, 2004. Joint Letter from 90 NGOs to USTR Robert Zoellick on TRIPS-Plus Provisions in Free Trade Agreements.
  • July 22, 2004. Consumer Project on Technology, Consumers Union, Consumer Federation of America, Health Action International, Essential Action, and Consumer Action. Joint letter to Robert Zoellick on the benefits of R&D+ over TRIPS+.
  • May 27, 2004. Joint Letter from 90 NGOs to USTR Robert Zoellick on TRIPS-Plus Provisions in Free Trade Agreements.

• Medecins Sans Frontieres

  • May 14, 2004. Fact sheet prepared for the 2004 World Health Assembly. Access to Medicines At Risk Across the Globe - What to Watch Out For in Free Trade Agreements with the United States.
  • May 14, 2004. Press release. Free Trade Agreement Will Put Access to Life-Saving Medicines in Peru and Region at Risk: New Report Warns that US Trade Negotiations are Threatening Access to Medicines Worldwide.
  • March 5, 2004. Ellen 't Hoen for Medecins Sans Frontieres. Letter to Pascal Lamy on FTAs and access to medicines.

• Oxfam

  • June 16, 2004. Oxfam briefing note. Undermining Access to Medicines: Comparison of Five US FTAs.
  • December 1, 2003. Jen Brant. Robbing the Poor to Pay the Rich? How the United States keeps medicines from the world’s poorest.
    • Full text.
    • Press release.
  • January 25, 2006. Action Aid. Big business lobbyists have undue influence on trade talks.
  • November 30, 2003. Oxfam press release. Access to cheap drugs a ‘matter of life and death’ for world’s poorest - Oxfam in Scotland in World Aids Day attack on US drugs policy.
  • November 14, 2002. Ruth Mayne. US Bullying on Drug Patents: One Year After Doha.
    • Full Report
    • Press release.
    • News Stories
      • February 18, 2003. Sarah Bosely for the Guardian. How the US wields a big stick for Big Pharma.
      • November 15, 2002. Robert Evans for Reuters. U.S. accused of bullying over AIDS.
      • November 14, 2002. Sarah Bosely for the Guardian. US Drug Makers Accused of Bullying.
  • December, 2001. Report by Peter Drahos and Herschel Smith for Oxfam. Bilateralism in Intellectual Property.

• June, 2005. Trade-Human Rights-Equitable Economy. United Nations Children's Committee Warns About FTA Threats to Access to Affordable Medicines and Social Services for the Poor.

Misc.

• Access to Medicines: A Comparison of Provisions of the TRIPS Agreement and Selected Bilateral Trade Agreements. Ed. 2. Prepared by the Generic Pharmaceutical Association. Also, see the updates for the FTAs with Oman and Peru.
• May, 2006. Carlos Correa. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 84(5). Implications of Bilateral Free Trade Agreements on Access to Medicines.
• April 18, 2006. Alan Beattie for the Financial Times. Changes raise doubts on US commitment to Doha trade talks.
• April 18, 2006. Anand Giridharadas for the International Herald Tribune. U.S. pushes to limit generic drug rights.
• July 25, 2005. Submission of rormer USTR Mickey Kantor to the WHO Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Healthcare. U.S. Free Trade Agreements and the Public Health.
• February 7, 2005. Carsten Fink and Patrick Reichenmiller for the World Bank Group. Tightening TRIPS: The Intellectual Property Provisions of Recent U.S. Free Trade Agreements.
• January, 2005. Ellen R. Shaffer, Howard Waitzkin, Joseph Brenner, and Rebeca Jasso-Aguilar in the American Journal of Public Health. Global Trade and Public Health.
• June 23, 2004. Speech by Pascal Lamy at the International Conference on the 10th Anniversary of the TRIPS Agreement. The TRIPS Agreement 10 Years On.

  But we have to look beyond TRIPS: it is important that key flexibilities in other policy areas are not undermined in other multilateral fora or as a result of bilateral trade agreements. I am seriously concerned by some of the free trade agreements recently adopted between industrialised countries and developing countries: some of their IP provisions go far beyond their level of development and reduce worryingly their options of making use of the TRIPs flexibilities.

Other Trade Blocks

European (EFTA)- South African Customs Union FTA
• March 9, 2005. Bridgets Weekly Trade News Digest. Southern African Countries Reject 'TRIPS-Plus' Demands in FTA Negotiation.
• March 4, 2005. Berne Declaration press release. Southern African countries have taken a firm stand against EFTA demands on Intellectual Property Rights in Free Trade Agreement.
• November 4, 2004. Joint NGO letter. Open letter to the trade and foreign ministers of EFTA's states.
• November 4, 2004. Berne Convention press release. "EFTA countries shall not endanger public health and food security in Southern Africa" NGOs request.
• News Stories
  • November 23, 2004. Carli Lourens for Business Day. South Africa Near to Clinching Another Trade Deal.

• North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
  • Provisions of NAFTA regarding Intellectual Properety, Chapter 17, Articles 1701 to 1721.
  • Compulsory licensing provisions in NAFTA.
  • Nafta Secretariat.

• Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
  • November 5, 2001. Richard Black for the BBC. Asean aims to cut Aids treatment costs.
  • December 3, 2000. Times of India. Allow ASEAN to make anti-AIDS drugs: Malaysia.

• List of European Commission regional and bilateral trade agreements.

United States-European Union Transatlantic Economic Partnership (TEP)

• June 9, 1998, USTR request for comments on the United States-European Union Transatlantic Economic Partnership. [Federal Register: June 9, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 110)] [Notices] [Page 31546-31548]
• TransAtlantic Business Dialogue home page.
  • November 7, 1998, Annex to the October 1997 Action Plan of the Intellectual Property Issues Group Charlotte, North Carolina. This is quite important.
  • October 6-8, 1997, Intellectual Property Issues Group Action Plan including recommendations of the moderators of the US-EU Syposium on Intellectual Property, Washington, DC.
  • November 6-7, 1997, TABD Conference in Rome, Italy Final Communique.
• July 23, 1997, US Congress, House Ways and Means, Subcomittee on Trade, hearings on on New TransAtlantic Agenda.

Selected News Stories

• May 3, 2007. Ian Swanson for The Hill. Drug makers fear trade deal from House Dems, administration.
• April 4, 2007. Deborah Bloch for the LHU Eagle Eye. Thailand's fight for health care.
• April 3, 2007. Reuters. U.S. trade deals raising drug prices abroad: Oxfam.
• November 23, 2006. Martin Vaughn for Intellectual Property Watch. Democrats Could Slow US Trade Deals But May Change Little On IP.
• July, 2006. Doug Ireland in POZ Magazine. Under the Counter.
• May 24, 2006. SUNS North South Development Monitor. South American Ministers vow to avoid TRIPS-plus measures.
• March 3, 2006. Martin Vaughan for Intellectual Property Watch. Groups Decry Impact Of IP And Health Terms In US Trade Agreements.
• June 17, 2005. Inside U.S. Trade. Waxman, Generic Pharmaceutical Group Criticize FTA IPR Provisions.
• Novemberr 22, 2004. The Accra Public Agenda. Regional Trade Pacts Threaten Global Trade Talks.
• November 4, 2004. Reuters. Bush win seen leading to more US trade pacts.
• October 8, 2004. Inside US Trade. House Democrats Criticize Administration Over IPR Provisions in FTAs.
• July 10, 2004. Op-ed by Joseph Stiglitz in the New York Times. New Trade Pacts Betray the Poorest Partners.
• July 9, 2004. Martin Vaughan for the Congress Daily PM. Zoellick Vows Continued Effort On Overseas Drug Pricing.
• July 6, 2004. Marilyn Chase and Sarah Lueck for the Wall Street Journal. In New Trade Pacts, U.S. Seeks To Limit Reach of Generic Drugs
• July 6, 2004. Ron Corben for Voice of America. AIDS Activists Say US Trade Policies Restrict Access to Treatment.
• March 17, 2004. Dara Colwell for Alternet.org. Brand-Name Price Gouging.
• March 12, 200. Joseph Stiglitz for the Guardian. A world consensus is emerging on the destructive effects of globalisation - but the Bush administration is out of line.
• November 5, 2002. Op-Ed by US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick in the Wall Street Journal. Free Trade, Free People.
• October 9, 2001. Frances Williams for the Financial Times. WTO Director General Warns on Global Trading. (In this peice, Michael Moore warns against "the collective impact of a large number of RTAs [Regional Trade Agreements], each with its own special mini-trade regime, on the functioning of the rules-based multilateral trading system".)
• July, 2001. Genetic resources Action International. TRIPS-Plus Through the Back Door: How bilateral treaties impose much stronger rules on IPRs on life than the WTO.
• Offical APEC Web page

Other CPTech Pages Relating to Trade and Healthcare

• G-8 meeting. Evian, France, June, 2003.
• WTO MINISTERIAL MEETING, DOHA, QATAR, NOVMEBER 9-13, 2001.
• CPT Page on the World Trade Organization.
• G-8 meeting. Genoa, Italy, July, 2001.
• CPT page on the European Union.
• Sub-Saharan Africa Free Trade Area