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EU and Japan create world's biggest free trade zone

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Re: EU and Japan create world's biggest free trade zone

#21

Post by dmix »

Canada recently made a trade deal with the EU as well.

Our country (Canada) hasn't been pushing harder enough for this IMO, considering how greatly we benefitted from NAFTA it should have been our top policy objective for the last couple decades.

Modern countries would rather get lost in decades long mega-deals with 1000 conditions for every political crony connection / special-interest group ever than get an actual real "free trade" deal done.

There are still so many things that are ridiculously expensive in Canada for no rational (long term) benefit to either party assuming it was a real market. When you could drive an hour south to the US and get countless things for 25% cheaper (clothes, shoes, cars, etc) not to mention the lack of access to media (streaming sites) and sports blackout contracts.

Re: EU and Japan create world's biggest free trade zone

#22

Post by TorKlingberg »

Japan has avoided the madness of tariffs and trade wars that has affected the west recently. Instead they have been quietly negotiating trade deals with everyone and generally getting along. Good on them!

Also it includes cheese, which will make westerners in Japan very happy.

Re: EU and Japan create world's biggest free trade zone

#24

Post by afrisch »

growlist wrote: post #4
tonyedgecombe wrote: post #2

I'm glad the UK is a member of the EU so we can benefit from this.

So then it IS apparently possible to have a free trade zone without freedom of movement.

Of course. As a matter of fact, UK was never part of the Schengen Area.

Re: EU and Japan create world's biggest free trade zone

#25

Post by blibble »

pavlov wrote: post #6
growlist wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So then it IS apparently possible to have a free trade zone without freedom of movement.

Of course it is. The EU isn’t that, though. The withdrawal agreement negotiated by May does fulfill those criteria, but Brexiters still don’t like it — fancy that.

let's be accurate here: the reason the brexiteers (i.e. the ERG) don't like the withdrawal agreement is that it gives the EU effective control of the UK economy without any mechanism for the UK to leave that arrangement without the EU's permission

which is the sort of term a victor of war forces on a defeated party

the ERG agreed earlier this week that if this part of the agreement is dropped they will vote for it, otherwise it will never be accepted

Re: EU and Japan create world's biggest free trade zone

#26

Post by mpweiher »

Silhouette wrote: post #19
tonyedgecombe wrote: post #2

I'm glad the UK is a member of the EU so we can benefit from this.

Both the Japanese and UK official positions are that in the event of Brexit severing these new ties via the EU, they want to implement a bilateral deal as quickly as possible that covers the same benefits as the EPA with possibilities for going further. Obviously various parties involved would prefer a more orderly transition, though. One somewhat ironic possible outcome if there is a hard Brexit is that the UK could…

Except the argument made by the Brexiteers is that the EU can't do trade deals and Britain would be able to do so much better and quicker outside.

Hmm...

Re: EU and Japan create world's biggest free trade zone

#27

Post by jashmatthews »

ousta wrote: post #8
growlist wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So then it IS apparently possible to have a free trade zone without freedom of movement.

Yes ofc it is possible. the freedom of movement is just a way to dump bluecollar workforce into richer economies so that wages don't go up. educated workforce most of the time has legal ways to get a visa and has freedom of movement regardless of europe "freedom of movement"

Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands were all fairly evenly developed when they formed the original EEC in 1957.

Re: EU and Japan create world's biggest free trade zone

#28

Post by kingkawn »

blibble wrote: post #25
pavlov wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course it is. The EU isn’t that, though. The withdrawal agreement negotiated by May does fulfill those criteria, but Brexiters still don’t like it — fancy that.

let's be accurate here: the reason the brexiteers (i.e. the ERG) don't like the withdrawal agreement is that it gives the EU effective control of the UK economy without any mechanism for the UK to leave that arrangement without the EU's permission which is the sort of term a victor of war forces on a defeated party the ERG agreed earlier this week that if this part of the agreement is dropped they will vote for it, o…

Except the U.K. was an equal member of the EU and participated in the development of its rules

Re: EU and Japan create world's biggest free trade zone

#29

Post by jmanderley »

blibble wrote: post #25
pavlov wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course it is. The EU isn’t that, though. The withdrawal agreement negotiated by May does fulfill those criteria, but Brexiters still don’t like it — fancy that.

let's be accurate here: the reason the brexiteers (i.e. the ERG) don't like the withdrawal agreement is that it gives the EU effective control of the UK economy without any mechanism for the UK to leave that arrangement without the EU's permission which is the sort of term a victor of war forces on a defeated party the ERG agreed earlier this week that if this part of the agreement is dropped they will vote for it, o…

Tough luck, the UK gave up its voice in the EU willingly. No one forced Brexit on you.

Re: EU and Japan create world's biggest free trade zone

#30

Post by tomp »

rjtavares wrote: post #12
tozeur wrote: post #9

Are there any downsides to this that were perhaps left out of the article?

The downside of free trade agreements is well studied: while overall it's a net positive for the economies involved, there are some individual losers.

I think the parent means things like, draconian copyright rules, ISDS (investor-state dispute settlement), subversion of customer protection rules (e.g. selling GMO meat in EU), etc.

In addition, Japan and EU are obviously similarly (very highly) developed countries, so "free trade" between them is very close to "fair trade" as well, as opposed to e.g. free trade between EU and China would be (EU companies would skirt EU labour and environmental laws by producing stuff in China and freely importing into the EU).

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