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26/11/2007
A major sales drive by Canada's asbestos industry has seen asbestos exports to some developing nations increase dramatically. Exports to Brazil in the period January-August 2007 were three times the volume for the same period in 2006. Canadian asbestos exports to the Dominican Republic doubled and Bangladesh saw its imports increase by 69.9 per cent. An analysis of official figures by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) notes that even as proposed legislation to ban asbestos in the US was being discussed in the Senate, the country's use of asbestos rose by 15.4 per cent. '
The seemingly insatiable Canadian thirst for asbestos profits has incentivised JM Inc. and LAB Chrysotile Mines, rival Quebec asbestos companies, to cooperate in the creation of a joint sales agency: Chrysotile Canada Inc (CCI) which will, so industry lobbyists say, help the industry counter stiff overseas competition,' wrote IBAS coordinator Laurie Allen. Seventy-five per cent of Canadian asbestos exports go to Asian countries, the analysis shows.
The top five regional markets are India - which imported C$25,196,357 (£12,420,000) worth of Canadian asbestos between January and August 2007, followed by Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Bangladesh. The IBAS analysis cites Dr Barry Castleman, an internationally respected expert on asbestos, who criticised the Canadian government and industry line justifying safe 'controlled use' of Canadian asbestos in developing nations. He commented: 'Anyone who says there's a controlled use of asbestos in the Third World is either a liar or a fool.'
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