[Ip-health] USTR to meet with Thai Officials on Compulsory Licenses - report

[robert weissman]

The important part of this story is that USTR is today meeting with Thai
officials, purportedly to discuss the Thai compulsory licenses. There is
no basis, and none reported in this story, for believing that USTR is
seriously considering designating Thailand a priority foreign country.
On the other hand, there is no excuse for U.S. officials advocating
against a country exercising the TRIPS flexibilities designed to advance
what the Doha Declaration calls "WTO members' right to protect public
health and, in particular, to promote access to medicines for all."

Robert Weissman,
Essential Action


  http://nationmultimedia.com/2008/03/17/headlines/headlines_30068344.php



  Thai-US talks to begin


    Assistant US Trade Representative Barbara Weisel will today meet
    Commerce Ministry permanent secretary Siripol Yodmuangcharoen on
    compulsory licensing and the revision of Thailand's trade status.

Published on March 17, 2008

The outcome will be considered during a meeting between Susan Schwab,
the head of the USTR, and Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan next
month in Bangkok.

The United States will an-nounce the trade status of Thai-land by the
end of next month.

Depending on whether or not Thailand is downgraded from Priority Watch
List to Priority Foreign Country (PFC), Washington will decide to extend
or cut tariff privileges on Thai goods under the Genera-lised System of
Preferences.

Last year, the USTR downgraded Thailand from Watch List to Priority
Watch List, reasoning it had not implemented strong protection measures
against illegal goods.

The US is Thailand's largest trading partner. Exports to the US
accounted for 12.5 per cent of total export value last year.

Thailand is at risk of being downgraded to PFC after the decision by the
Public Health Ministry to continue compulsory licensing for four cancer
drugs.

The USTR is scheduled to announce its official revision of the trade
status of 63 trading partners by the end of April.

The Commerce, Public Health and Foreign ministers will this week
finalise the compulsory licensing issue.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

The Nation