Rhune
ForumsNet Administrator
    
 
Gender: 
Posts: 292
|
 |
Opening the Door to Chewing Gum
« on: Jul 10th, 2003, 11:55pm » |
 Quote  Modify
|
Opening the Door to Chewing Gum
Thu Jul 10,11:02 AM ET Add Oddly Enough - Reuters to My Yahoo!
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The United States and Singapore have finally resolved one of stickiest points in their new free-trade agreement -- chewing gum.
Wrigley's, the world's largest chewing gum maker, has been given approval to sell its big sugar-free brands Orbit and Orbit White over the counter through pharmacists in Singapore, the government said on Wednesday.
The free trade agreement, signed two months ago but not yet ratified by U.S. Congress, had been expected to force the island republic to at least partially lift its decade-old ban on the import, sale and manufacture of gum.
But U.S. negotiators had been concerned Singapore would only allow the sale of chewing gum by prescription from doctors or dentists.
"This commitment will be implemented only when the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement enters into force," the government said in a statement.
U.S. president George Bush and Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong signed the free trade agreement in May but it has yet to be ratified by the U.S. Congress.
Singapore famously banned gum in 1992 after leftover wads were blamed for disrupting subway operations by gumming up doors. The sanction became a source of jokes but the government long refused to back down.
|
Sponsored by: The Fans!
Home
Help
Search
Members
Chat
Member Map
Login
Register
Reply
Add Poll
Notify of replies
Send Topic
Print