European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday. November 11, 1993 Naftal debate the stars and stripes Page 13 by Tom Raum the associated press Washington no one scored a knockout in tuesdays televised debate on the North american free Trade agreement. But vice president Al Gore s Strong performance May make it easier for the administration to sell its Case to wavering lawmakers. That s because the curious debate Between Gore and Ross Perot on in no a Larry King live was the most extensive Public airing yet of the issues involved in the complicated Trade agreement. And that could work to the White houses advantage with just a week to so before next Tom Raum wednesday s critical House vote on the pact which would end Trade barriers among the United states Mexico and Canada. Up to now the opponents had the upper hand in presenting their Case. But Gore managed Roget before the Public a Point by Point rebuttal to the oppositions main contentions that the agreement will Send . Jobs to Mexico. If Perot had dominated the debate it could have buried the administrations efforts a making it very hard to persuade undecided democrats to take the political risk of supporting the pact. As it is Gore managed to keep the administrations Hopes alive. Early polls suggested that viewers thought Gore out debated Perot. A can Usa today Gallup poll showed that s9 percent thought Gore did a better Job 32 percent thought Perot did. The Survey was based on 357 Telephone interviews with adults who watched the debate. The same poll showed that 72 percent said. They had a favourable View of Gore after the debate a compared with 57 percent before. Perot a favourable numbers went from 49 percent be fore the debate to 45 percent after it it Quot Perot Asfalt testy defensive a said Allan Lehtman a political scientist at american University. Quot the famed Ross Perot sense of humor seemed Little in evidence. Gore on the other hand was Clear and much More focused than Ross Perot. Quot if you re going to play the politics of fear you dam Well better scare people. Perot did t do  Perot had charts and photos Gore had charts and photos. The two argued at great length at who was interrupting the other the most. And both repeated arguments that both sides had used before. But for once the arguments appeared Side by Side. And Gore clearly had done his Homework rattling off facts and figures and mentioning the agreements effect on specific companies. The decision for Gore to Challenge Perot carried a big political risk. A i was Uncertain about whether it was a Good ideas former president Carter said in an interview. A i was pleasantly  Carter who supports the agreement predicted undecided lawmakers would now be emboldened to come out for the pact. Quot this debate will make it easier for them to face the political consequences at Home a he said. Nervous democrats Quot can say if that a the strongest arguments the opponents can make that Ross Perot can make then Naftal can to be All that bad. I can take him on a said democratic consultant Ann Lewis. Of course wavering democrats Arentt nearly As concerned about prof As they Are about organized labors Strong opposition and vows to work against the re election of any Democrat who supports the pact. Tuesday nights debate will not do anything to diminish labors Campaign against the agreement nor weaken the resolve of other opponents. Quot Gore was smooth and deliberate but # misleading and disingenuous a said consumer advocate Ralph Nader an opponent. Naftal overview m key facts about tha North american free Trade agreement what it does to refs and Owr Trad barriers among the Unstad a lev of Luau end m9ii060 a Dieci of Deilnn Wooi of Melq Wie  largest and richest trading bloc covering 360 often people when Jan. 1.1994, if Congress approves. Ir1 tariffs err wad Over a 15-Vmt parted levies on half of the mom than 9,000 products would be phased out immediately 65 percent of them within five years. . Tariffs on mexican products now average less than 4 percent mexican tariffs on american products average 10 percent. A agriculture tariffs on All farm products would be phased out but producers would be Given 15 years to adjust to a duty free status of sensitive products. These incited com and dry Beans for Mexico and Orange juice concentrate melons sugar and asparagus for . Farmers. Mexican import licenses which cover about 25 percent of . Exports would be dropped immediately. A a autos to qualify for duty free treatment the North american Content of cars now 50 percent would have to reach 62.5 percent after eight years. Sill it a it financial services Mexico would allow . And Canadian Banks brokerage firms and insurance companies free Access after a six year transition period during which bans on foreign ownership would be phased out telecommunications . Companies would be allowed to compete for contracts from Mexico s Public Telephone system and investment restrictions would be eliminated by july 1995. Textiles Mexico would be Able to escape High duties on shipments to the United states and Canada As Long As the clothing was made from yarns and fabrics from North America. Trucking Mexico would Altow foreigners to invest in its of in fraud dog firms and . Mexican and Canadian trucking companies would be allowed to do business on Cross Border routes that Are now prohibited. Sioe agreements a but e6tabfish Tri National commissions to oversee environmental and labor Laws with the possibility of sanctions either punitive Trade tariffs in the Case of the United states and Mexico or fines in the Case of Canada for failure of a country to enforce its own Laws. A we j. Castelio used by Perot to assail plan Mexico City apr relatively few mexicans could watch the debate Over an Issue that May help decide their future but some of those who did said their country was slandered. Quot i think its rather unfortunate that the state of the mexican Economy depends on the stale of a Public opinion poll in the United states a said Rogelio i rez de lao an Independent economic analyst. Lami Ile Tyne sys of tuesday most mexicans lacked acc ass to the Cable to Tern that held exclusive rights to coverage of 1 nights debate Between vice president Al Gore and Ross Perot Over the North american free Trade agreement now facing Congress. Mexico a main television network televise followed the showdown with an extensive summary of the debate but analysis was dominated by friends of the agreement. _ # 11 Perot a portrayal of an economically destitute Politi Calls oppressive Mexico irritated Many businessmen and analysts Here. Quot you know perfectly Well this is not Mexico. He told Many lies said Jaime Sanchez Susarrey a prominent Guadalajara based political scientist and journalist. He and others noted that Perot claimed 85 million mexicans a the entire population a were in poverty. Quot it seemed to me there was an eminently racist Cut in Many of the arguments Perot raised Sanchez said in a Telephone interview. Quot the mexican political system has Many aspects to Correct a he said Quot the same on the Side of human rights. But just As you cannot reduce Mexico to cardboard houses you cannot say that the mexican regime is a Type of fascism or authoritarianism that. Violently oppresses the . Mexico a political system Quot is none of Perot s business a said Roberto baht re a mexican citizen who Heads operations in the country for the Massachusets based consulting company Arthur d. Little. He said that Basing Trade on such terms would Rule out Exchange with China Taiwan or South Korea baht re called Perot a proposal to raise tariffs until Mexico raises wages Quot confusing nonsense if we Don t Trade with the ., then we re not going to buy from the .�?� he said wages have risen rapidly at the Border Assembly plants taht Perot attacked rising from 54 cents an hour in 1985 to More than $3 an hour this year. John Bruten executive vice president of the american chamber of Commerce in Mexico City called Perot a claims Quot a hideous exploitation of inaccurate  he said Perot a claims mexicans cannot afford . Goods Quot Are just hooey and noted that . Exports to Mexico have increased fivefold since 1988. A Bruten acknowledged that some companies move to Mexico for Low wages but said other factors often outweigh wage costs. Quot there Isnit going to be a mass exodus from the United states a he said. But Ramirez said he feared Perot had won the debate with  he cited Perot a claim Quot that the mexican workers Are exploited by their employers when in fact mexican labor Law is much More protective than . Labor  but he also dismissed Gore s warning that the japanese would move into the Gap if the United states rejects Naftal. Quot that s absolutely laughable. That a a pipe dream. The japanese Are interested in the . Market Quot he said. A Mexico is not a High priority for  Naftal has yet to be approved by the mexican Senate but passage is assured because ruling party controls the  see no shift following showdown Toronto apr Canada was an afterthought at Best in the televised debate on the North american free Trade agreement but experts who watched it Here doubted that the Al Gore Ross Perot clash would change Many minds in Congress. Quot i think it was Good entertainment but 1 done to know if it shifted the Congress a said Bob White head of the Canadian labor Congress Canadas largest Union federation and a vehement opponent of Naftal As Well As the 1989 free Trade agreement Between Canada and the United states. A i done to think it s going to have any effect on the vote in the House a said John Crispo a political economist at the University of Toronto who supports free Trade. Crispo who before the debate had called it a matchup Between Quot wooden head and the King of the one liners an act of real desperation Quot said he was relieved with what he Felt was a Clear Victory by Gore on tuesday. The Canadian parliament ratified Naftal in May. While Brian Mulroney a conservatives were still in  it withheld Quot proclaiming Quot the legislation the final step until the United states reached a decision. Prime minister Jean Chretien the Liberal who succeeded to Canadas leadership in last months election wants to renegotiate parts of the Deal. Even if Naftal fails the bilateral Deal Between the United states and Canada would remain in effect