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The groups say tobacco companies have used past trade agreements to challenge U.S. tobacco control measures, such as in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Norway, Turkey and Uruguay. Indonesia, for its part, has sued the United States, arguing that the U.S. ban on clove cigarettes violates trade agreements.

“From a public health perspective, international trade and investment rules should not result in increased tobacco consumption,” the groups wrote. “They should also not inhibit any nation from exercising its sovereign authority to protect the health of its citizens by enacting legitimate public health measures aimed at reducing tobacco use.”

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