Take GATT out of the ballgame

Regarding the article ``Clinton Sells GATT Treaty as a Home Run,'' Aug. 10: If President Clinton wants to treat the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade as a baseball game, his fastball should be saved for next season because home base has not been covered. Neither Congress nor the public has adequately debated this issue, at least not as thoroughly as they did the North American Free Trade Agreement last year.

Congress is concerned with how to coordinate United States antidumping and other trade laws - carefully crafted laws protecting our environment, health, and human rights - some of which could be challenged as unfair barriers to international trade.

Congress has not worked out the financing of the deal. There is an estimated $13 billion required over five years to fund the agreement, but the immediate concern is for the lost revenue from lowered tariffs. Robert Brewster, San Diego

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