EU and Japan create world's biggest free trade zone • Hacker News Board

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

#261

Post by padthai » Fri, Feb 01, 2019, 9:08 PM UTC

rfinney wrote: post #250

IfOnlyYouKnew wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope. Ireland has done excellent-it was the poorest country in Europe when they joined in the 1970s, today it’s among the top. Eastern and south-eastern countries had lines for bread when the USSR dissolved. Ten years later, they joined the EU. Today, life in Poland or Hungary is close to catching up with Western Europe. Greece had about the same GDP per capita as Turkey when they joined. Today, it’s closer to 3x Tur…

Check. "Ireland [...] was the poorest country in Europe" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_past_and_... Check 1972 figures. Spain and Greece were poorer. The unlisted Soviet client states were likely even much poorer. "Poland or Hungary is close to catching up with Western Europe." Poland and Hungary have 1/3 the per capita GDP as Britain. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28n…

Poland and Hungary are catching up with western countries. But they are starting with the poorest ones, like Portugal.

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

#262

Post by HillaryBriss » Fri, Feb 01, 2019, 9:14 PM UTC

Barrin92 wrote: post #232

zeroname wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Free trade is great when applied evenly. Free trade is great even when applied unevenly.

Surprised this was being downvoted because it is true. If countries engage in protectionism unilaterally, they are predominantly harming their own consumers and undermining competition of their own businesses. As Friedman used to point out, if Japan wants to subsidize its steel at the cost of their own taxpayers, just take the cheap steel and be thankful for it.

On the subject of Friedman, what was his take on how to address the deep personal losses suffered by tens of thousands of US based steel industry workers who lose their jobs? Many of these people become unemployed or underemployed for years.

They seem to be taking a pretty big loss. Surely Friedman didn't expect them to just "take one for the team." I don't know. Maybe he did? Not sure.

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

#263

Post by baby » Fri, Feb 01, 2019, 9:14 PM UTC

hinkley wrote: post #222

hkmurakami wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I still remember how horridly expensive cheese was in Japan. This is excellent news.

One of the weird, nearly constant cultural boundaries is fermented foods. I suspect even without the tariffs cheese will still be expensive in Japan. It doesn't really 'go' with a lot of the cuisine. I mean, if you handed me donburi with cheese in it I'd probably say, "Okay, that's weird but it could work so let me try it," but I'm wracking my brain trying to think what other dishes you could fit in it. Certainly eth…

The problem with cheese is that its bacteries propagate into a host's brain and attack its nervous system. Most of France is controlled by human who are controlled themselves by cheese bacteries. Their plot is obviously to control the world through cheese expansion, so I don't know if we can let this happen.

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

#264

Post by baby » Fri, Feb 01, 2019, 9:15 PM UTC

athenot wrote: post #230

hinkley wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the weird, nearly constant cultural boundaries is fermented foods. I suspect even without the tariffs cheese will still be expensive in Japan. It doesn't really 'go' with a lot of the cuisine. I mean, if you handed me donburi with cheese in it I'd probably say, "Okay, that's weird but it could work so let me try it," but I'm wracking my brain trying to think what other dishes you could fit in it. Certainly eth…

Cheese (at least in France) is not a topping but something consumed after the main course (and with bread). I could see a donbury followed by some mild cheeses. Perhaps stronger cheeses might even go with bonito flakes or other dried fish products. I'm sure some experimentation in pairing could yield some interesting results.

Unless you're eating fondue, raclette, tartiflette, cheese with charcuterie, etc.

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

#265

Post by speleding » Fri, Feb 01, 2019, 9:15 PM UTC

fauigerzigerk wrote: post #198

hippich wrote: post #43

While lack of tariffs is nice, as a small-time seller, complying with all these VAT, taxing rules (Germany added new requirement in 2019 to obtain some kind of new tax certificate which is not related to VAT certificate) makes it quite complicated from compliance point alone. But I guess it represents general attitude towards business in europe. Not sure how it is like in Japan. [edit] What I mean is that it is all f…

That's true. But there is some progress on that as well. From Jan 2019, the so called VAT MOSS (mini one stop shop) is open to companies from outside the EU as well: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-changes-to-th... I don't know how it works exactly, but it means that you can now supply digital goods and services to all EU countries after getting registered with the VAT MOSS instead of registering for V…

IIRC being below the 10.000 limit means you are allowed to charge the VAT from the EU country you are based, also for sales outside your country, I don't think it allows you to charge no VAT at all (that would probably be too easy to abuse)

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

#266

Post by dang » Fri, Feb 01, 2019, 9:34 PM UTC

sonnyblarney wrote: post #165

_bxg1 wrote: post #5

Finally a piece of good news in global politics

[flagged]

Can you please not take HN threads on flamewar tangents? This is a major one. The problem is that the few hottest/angriest topics have most of the mass and eventually suck everything else into their field.

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

#267

Post by hinkley » Fri, Feb 01, 2019, 9:35 PM UTC

athenot wrote: post #230

hinkley wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the weird, nearly constant cultural boundaries is fermented foods. I suspect even without the tariffs cheese will still be expensive in Japan. It doesn't really 'go' with a lot of the cuisine. I mean, if you handed me donburi with cheese in it I'd probably say, "Okay, that's weird but it could work so let me try it," but I'm wracking my brain trying to think what other dishes you could fit in it. Certainly eth…

Cheese (at least in France) is not a topping but something consumed after the main course (and with bread). I could see a donbury followed by some mild cheeses. Perhaps stronger cheeses might even go with bonito flakes or other dried fish products. I'm sure some experimentation in pairing could yield some interesting results.

So you're insisting that other cultures eat your fermented food as a standalone dish instead of as an ingredient, even after someone (me) pointed out how often that strategy fails?

Oh boy.

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

#268

Post by emptyfile » Fri, Feb 01, 2019, 9:35 PM UTC

"The deal protects 'Geographical Indications' such as Cheddar, Kobe beef and Scotch whiskey"

Ironic

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

#269

Post by hinkley » Fri, Feb 01, 2019, 9:36 PM UTC

baby wrote: post #263

hinkley wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the weird, nearly constant cultural boundaries is fermented foods. I suspect even without the tariffs cheese will still be expensive in Japan. It doesn't really 'go' with a lot of the cuisine. I mean, if you handed me donburi with cheese in it I'd probably say, "Okay, that's weird but it could work so let me try it," but I'm wracking my brain trying to think what other dishes you could fit in it. Certainly eth…

The problem with cheese is that its bacteries propagate into a host's brain and attack its nervous system. Most of France is controlled by human who are controlled themselves by cheese bacteries. Their plot is obviously to control the world through cheese expansion, so I don't know if we can let this happen.

So François Mitterrand was trying to send us a secret warning when he asked how you govern a country with 246 varieties of cheese?

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

#270

Post by bobthepanda » Fri, Feb 01, 2019, 9:37 PM UTC

hinkley wrote: post #222

hkmurakami wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I still remember how horridly expensive cheese was in Japan. This is excellent news.

One of the weird, nearly constant cultural boundaries is fermented foods. I suspect even without the tariffs cheese will still be expensive in Japan. It doesn't really 'go' with a lot of the cuisine. I mean, if you handed me donburi with cheese in it I'd probably say, "Okay, that's weird but it could work so let me try it," but I'm wracking my brain trying to think what other dishes you could fit in it. Certainly eth…

Japan uses cheese in its curries. There's also Japanese cheesecake.