Argentina: "No Trade Threats From USA"

Argentine president Carlos Menem says the USA has "neither hardened its stance" on Argentina over drug patents nor adopted any measures against it.

A personal letter from President Clinton had said the USA would refrain from imposing trade sanctions, despite the fact that the Argentina was now on the USTR's priority watch list (Marketletter May 13), said Pres Menem. Talks with the USA would continue, and a bill to amend the country's patents legislation is in Congress, he said. When he was told that Congress had in fact declined to review the patents legislation, he replied: "those are things that Congress says."

Deputy Foreign Minister Fernando Petrella said the decision over priority observation demonstrated the pressure put on the US Congress and the Clinton Administration by US drug companies.