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EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal

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21–30 of 184 posts

Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal

#21
post #16
post #12

This is a bad deal for many European countries that still have a strong farming industry, and for Europeans in general too. Once again, Germany has pushed through its interests at the expense of other European nations like Poland. This time even France was against it. What is Germany going to get? A new market for their decaying automobile industry. What is the rest of Europe going to get? Cheap, low quality food shi…

This is an incredibly mid take. This is a boon for any European manufacturing and tech company. Not "just" German car manufacturers but especially machining and pharmaceutical companies. Farming is already incredibly subsidized in the EU, and has an outsized political capital for their importance based on historical momentum. This is also primarily bad for the beef industry, which is produced in the EU using very int…

> Farming is already incredibly subsidized in the EU

As it should be if we don't want to wake up one fine day in the middle of a global war with no food supply because of a naval blockade and have our children starve to death.

Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal

#22
post #12

This is a bad deal for many European countries that still have a strong farming industry, and for Europeans in general too. Once again, Germany has pushed through its interests at the expense of other European nations like Poland. This time even France was against it. What is Germany going to get? A new market for their decaying automobile industry. What is the rest of Europe going to get? Cheap, low quality food shi…

Is it fair for Europe to colonize north america, Australia, canada, New Zealand and dumping what's produced there on other countries?

Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal

#23
post #3

I'm surprised Trump didn't threaten involved parties with tariffs or military action over that yet. As a European, very happy about that happening, for multiple reasons. It's a shame it took so long

Trump used this card already, he already imposed tariffs once so nobody cares about that threat anymore. That's the thing with tariffs, they only work once.

You can always impose additional tariffs until it is ludicrous levels. Eg 100% or more like China has reached a few times before it was walked back.

Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal

#24
post #12

This is a bad deal for many European countries that still have a strong farming industry, and for Europeans in general too. Once again, Germany has pushed through its interests at the expense of other European nations like Poland. This time even France was against it. What is Germany going to get? A new market for their decaying automobile industry. What is the rest of Europe going to get? Cheap, low quality food shi…

Farmers like to complain and always get new privileges with every protest

I for once are happy they are getting a reality check for once

Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal

#25
post #3

I'm surprised Trump didn't threaten involved parties with tariffs or military action over that yet. As a European, very happy about that happening, for multiple reasons. It's a shame it took so long

Maybe that’ll still come once he gets his intel briefing from Fox & Friends

Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal

#26
post #15
post #3

I'm surprised Trump didn't threaten involved parties with tariffs or military action over that yet. As a European, very happy about that happening, for multiple reasons. It's a shame it took so long

The multiple reasons being exactly? In my opinion it is a net negative for all countries in Europe, but one.

This can more some of the incredibly polluting meat (beef) industry to countries where the pollution is lower due to less intensive methods over a larger area, which is a win-win.

This is a boon to any European manufacturer and machining company.

Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal

#27
post #12

This is a bad deal for many European countries that still have a strong farming industry, and for Europeans in general too. Once again, Germany has pushed through its interests at the expense of other European nations like Poland. This time even France was against it. What is Germany going to get? A new market for their decaying automobile industry. What is the rest of Europe going to get? Cheap, low quality food shi…

Wait and see how it goes. This deal might have real political consequences countries opposed to it, especially in France because of the opposition to the deal and by demonstrating that the country no longer has control: so this is a vindication for eurosceptic parties and embarrassing for the most pro-EU ones. This may just be short-term anger, and the whole establishment will push for it to be forgotten asap as the Presidential elections are in just a bit more than a year away.

Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal

#28
post #12

This is a bad deal for many European countries that still have a strong farming industry, and for Europeans in general too. Once again, Germany has pushed through its interests at the expense of other European nations like Poland. This time even France was against it. What is Germany going to get? A new market for their decaying automobile industry. What is the rest of Europe going to get? Cheap, low quality food shi…

Is it fair for Europe to colonize north america, Australia, canada, New Zealand and dumping what's produced there on other countries?

Europe did not colonize the world - some European countries did. I come from Poland, a country that never colonized another country, so I do not need that moral lecturing.

It is not even a matter of fairness, but of defending one owns interests.

Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal

#29
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trump used this card already, he already imposed tariffs once so nobody cares about that threat anymore. That's the thing with tariffs, they only work once.

You can always impose additional tariffs until it is ludicrous levels. Eg 100% or more like China has reached a few times before it was walked back.

It doesn't matter if he does it or not now, the US market is now seen as unreliable and risky.

If there's one thing companies hate more than taxes, it's uncertainty.

Re: EU and Mercosur countries sign landmark free trade deal

#30

There is some valid criticism raised by farmers in my country (Romania) related to use of pesticides and other substances that are forbidden in EU, but permitted in Mercosur and products can be imported even with the forbidden substances in it. That sounds pretty bad, consumer protection is the only part that I still like about modern EU.

But is that really true, i.e. were you able to find actual facts supporting this? I'm asking because in Germany there are similar talking points driven by the farmer's associations (actually just the big agro corps, actual small-scale farmers don't have much of a voice in these) and everytime I tried to dig into a particular topic, it didn't seem to be supported by actual facts.
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