U.S. settlement and international issues

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

International Issues and the Proposed U.S. Tobacco Settlement

The proposed settlement of the U.S. state lawsuits against the tobacco
industry is accessible on the web at <www.tobacco.neu.edu>.

The deal contains no provision dealing with international tobacco control.
This again raises the concern that relative peace at home will permit the
tobacco companies to devote even more attention to international
expansion. 

There are perhaps two provisions in the deal of some direct interest to
international concerns:

1. The deal specifies that the payment obligations of R.J. Reynolds and
Brown and Williamson do not extend to these companies' international
affiliates. It would probably not be possible for RJR to spin off its
international operations without this provision.

2. The deal requires U.S. tobacco manufacturers who participate in the
agreement to label all products made for export. The purpose of this
provision is apparently to permit an accurate count of the companies'
domestic share and, presumably, to prevent smuggling back into the United
States. This may provide an opening for the U.S. government to require a
label that would specify point of destination as part of an effort to help
curtail smuggling outside of the United States. 

Robert Weissman
Essential Information			|   Internet:	rob@essential.org