NEWSFLASH

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RP EXPORTS TO US IMPERILLED

Manila, Dec. 8, 1997 - The Philippines may be eased out from the US Generalized System of Preference if it fails to settle a dispute over the entry of American pork products.

The trade row with Washington stems from Manila's failure to accommodate the estimated 49,000 metric tons of pork as the minimum access volume (MAV) under the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) to be allowed entry at lower tariffs.

The US charged that the Philippines is barring the entry of pork and poultry products by using an allocation system that favors local pork producers.

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