Some have said a stand-off would lead to further safe-haven buying of the metal, as occurred during a protracted dispute on how to deal with other fiscal measures late in the summer of 2011 when gold ran to its record high.

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Trade facilitation provisions, such as the definition of custom procedures, administration, and dispute, will lead to a more stable and reliable trading environment, further buttressing U.S.-Peru trade and investment.

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Whether Mr Gerster's dismissal will lead to such a change may depend on the outcome of an unrelated pay dispute in Germany's engineering industries.

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Opponents, however, dispute the suggestion that a new plant would lead to energy independence.

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