A group of U.S. Democratic lawmakers on Thursday urged President Barack Obama to threaten Mexico with cuts in economic assistance if the southern neighbor continues to pursue a trade case that has put U.S. “dolphin-safe” tuna labels at risk.
“We urge your administration to make clear the U.S. will not water down or eliminate the very successful dolphin-safe labeling region,” the lawmakers said in a letter to Obama.
“If the Mexican government continues to pursue WTO action in this case, we ask that your administration reconsider the level of economic assistance Mexico receives from U.S. taxpayers.”
The lawmakers included Representative Edward Markey, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee, and Representative Howard Berman, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Mexico will get about USD 33 million in U.S. development assistance this year and has received nearly USD 200 million since 1999, which should be enough to compensate for “any hardship that the Mexican government claims to be experiencing from its inability to comply with perfectly reasonable dolphin-safe requirements,” the lawmakers said.
