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EU is reaching out to China

J

joluoto

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Von der Leyen discusses trade disruption with China amid tariff barrage​


I had a feeling this would happen. We have quite high trade barriers with China (most of them pretty new, enacted in the last few years to protect European businesses from unfair Chinese competition methods). However the US tariffs will probably force us to rethink our trade policies towards China. We might need easier access to the Chinese market (which would come with the price of easier Chinese access to the European market) to offset the loss of trade with the US.
 
First...good luck trying to get the Chinese to grant the EU greater access to the Chinese market. This is something Trump has been trying to do since his first term and is, in fact, one of the reasons for the current US tariffs against China.

Second, up till now, the EU...and others...have stressed their notion that it is the US consumers who would be paying for the Trump tariffs. It now seems they've abandoned that tactic. Now they are admitting that THEY will bear the brunt of the tariffs by way of "overcapacity". In other words, their producers will have product that the Americans won't be buying and that's a very bad thing for the EU.

In any case, by giving the Chinese greater access to the European market, the EU will be putting themselves into the same position that Trump is trying to get the US out of...a position where the EU's manufacturing base erodes because there is no place for them to sell their products.
 
In a matter of a few months, Trump and his reckless foreign policy positions and now trade wars have destroyed the US global position and reputation as a reliable ally and trade partner.

So much winning.
 
I expect we will see Canada strengthen our trade relationship with China but Carney will be smart about it. In other words we will go in with eyes wide open.
 
BirdinHand said:
In a matter of a few months, Trump and his reckless foreign policy positions and now trade wars have destroyed the US global position and reputation as a reliable ally and trade partner.

So much winning.
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The sad part about that is even with a new administration recovering that trust will be difficult if not impossible.
 
Callen said:
The sad part about that is even with a new administration recovering that trust will be difficult if not impossible.
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Yep.

Once you lose trust, it is almost impossible to get it back.
 
Callen said:
I expect we will see Canada strengthen our trade relationship with China but Carney will be smart about it. In other words we will go in with eyes wide open.
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So you think. China is waiting for other countries to sell their souls.
 
Queen Margo said:
So you think. China is waiting for other countries to sell their souls.
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At least there's a better chance of China honouring it's agreements than the USA.
 
The big difference here is China is likely to be less volatile a trading partner, since Donnie Boy's decided to charge every windmill he sees. Of course there are all sorts of issues in trading with China, but right now it's more of a stop-gap measure so the EU can have access to goods and diversify away from the US.
 
Queen Margo said:
So you think. China is waiting for other countries to sell their souls.
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Rubbish. No need for anyone to "sell their souls". This is all a direct result of our current president picking fights with everyone, and the need for nations to reconsider their position and dependence on the US. Those types of relationships take time to build but can be easily destroyed, as we're witnessing in real time.
 
The EU doesn't want to buy Chinese stuff. Or, at least MORE Chinese stuff. If they did, they'd already be doing it. The EU wants to SELL their own stuff.
 
Mycroft said:
The EU doesn't want to buy Chinese stuff. Or, at least MORE Chinese stuff. If they did, they'd already be doing it. The EU wants to SELL their own stuff.
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Given the US has chosen to become an unreliable partner, the calculus has changed.
 
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