Will Boris.......

[M-J-G]

Seems not... President Trump, for all his faults, is a friend of the UK.

Huawei: US 'to work with' UK over Chinese firm

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the countries can "resolve" differences over the Chinese firm.

www.bbc.co.uk

Of course he is, he's a friend of anyone that he can finger.

 

[Danllan]

Of course he is, he's a friend of anyone that he can finger.

Good to read a fact-filled response there rather than a bit of prejudice.

 

[M-J-G]

Good to read a fact-filled response there rather than a bit of prejudice.

Donald didn't get to where Donald is by being a friend to anyone other than those who he can gain from and control.
Otherwise why would he bother?
I don't think he's very bothered about his friend count.

If we weren't fit to hold our own with a few old clowns in Brussels, how are we going to deal with and completely unstoppable character like old mane and tail.

 

[Danllan]

Donald didn't get to where Donald is by being a friend to anyone other than those who he can gain from and control.
Otherwise why would he bother?
I don't think he's very bothered about his friend count.

If we weren't fit to hold our own with a few old clowns in Brussels, how are we going to deal with and completely unstoppable character like old mane and tail.

No. President Trump has some bottom lines, and some fundamental policies that he hasn't and won't stray from. Support for Israel is one, support for the UK is another, hitting China economically is a third; others are more national than global.

Post Mrs T there haven't been any fit to tell the EU where to go, that's true enough; things have changed on that front now.

 

[Hindsight]

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https://www.ft.com/content/c72634da-2006-11ea-b8a1-584213ee7b2b

Canada’s farmers struggle to reap gains from EU free trade deal Two years on, effects of landmark pact offer lessons for the UK ahead of Brexit Alberta cattle farmer Bob Lowe: 'You try to do something that’s going to cover a whole group of countries at once. Now that’s a bit on the difficult side' Share on Twitter (opens new window) Share on Facebook (opens new window) Share on LinkedIn (opens new window) Save Charlie Mitchell in Toronto JANUARY 2 2020Print this page189 For evidence that a landmark trade deal with the EU has not so far lived up to the hopes of Canada’s farmers, just ask True North Foods. The beef processing plant in the Canadian prairies spent a year and C$100,000 to gain certification to export to Europe, lured by the prospect of a lucrative market. But since then True North has sent just one beef shipment to the EU, which it completed in a single day in July. “We’re not all that motivated to send anything to Europe at the moment,” said Calvin Vaags, the plant’s owner, who is overburdened by demand from North America. “It’s a new market and it takes a lot of work.” Implemented in 2017, the EU’s trade agreement with Canada — Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or Ceta — was the biggest in the bloc’s history and eliminated 98 per cent of bilateral tariffs. But two years on the deal has been less fruitful than many Canadians expected. Overall EU exports to Canada rose 11 per cent in 2018 from a year earlier, while imports from Canada rose 7 per cent. Canadian agricultural exports to the EU, however, fell 15 per cent. The imbalance stems partly from stringent European standards banning antibiotics and growth enhancement technology, Canadian meat industry bodies and farmers told the Financial Times. Farmers must have their methods endorsed by EU-certified veterinarians, who are in short supply in the Canadian west. Bob Lowe, an Alberta cattleman who uses growth enhancement, said that despite the initial excitement, he had not yet seriously considered ditching the money-saving technology to sell EU-certified beef. “If it doesn’t work in our scenario, then we won’t change,” he said. Canada’s mixed experience could prove instructive for the UK, whose prime minister, Boris Johnson, has touted a “Canada-plus” arrangement for Britain’s trade relationship with the EU, based on Ceta. This negotiation took many years . . . And, yes, we don’t like exactly where we are at Senior Canadian trade official While the Canada deal has been held up as an example of how a single country can negotiate trade terms with the EU, the reality has been more complex. A vast new market was a selling point of the deal, but export quotas — the caps placed on the amount of different goods that can be shipped within a given period — tell a different story. Canadian pork farmers filled just 1.5 per cent of their export quota in 2018. Cattlemen filled 3.1 per cent of theirs in 2018 and have netted just C$16m ($12.2m) from Ceta in the first nine months of 2019, far below initial expectations of $600m annually. By contrast, European fine cheese exporters have filled their export quota to Canada. “This negotiation took many years, and it was actually the last Conservative government that negotiated those market access elements,” a senior Canadian trade official said. “And yes, we don’t like exactly where we are at.” The US is the primary destination for Canadian meat. Canada’s farmers find that the disparity between American and European standards makes it hard to sell meat profitably to both. Unable to ignore the market on their doorstep, British farmers too might struggle to fill shelves both in Europe and further afield after Brexit under a Ceta-style agreement. “If [EU] standards are significantly different [from those in] your largest market, the US”, that is a major drawback, said Carlo Dade, director of the Trade & Investment Centre at the Canada West Foundation. “You can understand why a farmer making a rational decision might look elsewhere.” While Canadian farmers have struggled to reap the benefits of Ceta, other industries, from pharmaceuticals to vehicles, have prospered. In the year to date, Canada has sent 368 per cent more aluminium to the EU than in the 12 months before Ceta. Canadian consumers are also benefiting after double-digit duties disappeared on European food and clothing. “I believe European businesses have benefited more from Ceta than Canadian businesses,” said Christian Sivière, a Canadian trade expert and consultant. Trade in services between Canada and the EU is up 11.7 per cent compared with two years ago. But without single-market building blocks, from free movement to an integrated court system, there are still restrictions. A local licence is still required for the provision of services under Ceta, hindering seamless cross-border business. However, that may not remain the case. The agreement’s most-favoured nation clause means that if Europe offers another partner, such as the UK, greater financial services access, then it must offer the same to Canada. That could prolong EU-UK negotiations, which will focus on services, as member states balk at unintended concessions to Ottawa. Ratification is another issue. Ceta has been ratified by only 14 European countries and will only take full effect when all EU member states ratify it. That has not always come easily. In 2016, the Belgian region of Wallonia almost nixed the entire deal. Last year, the Italians threatened not to ratify. Recommended The FT ViewThe editorial board Boris Johnson has signalled his negotiating strategy “These things will not torpedo the whole deal,” said the Canadian official. “But they will delay it because you need to wait for the right timing and supportive governments.” That throws doubt on Mr Johnson’s pledge to negotiate a deal by December 2020, despite his recent resounding electoral victory. The sense among many in Canada is that the EU, with millions more consumers, is able to call the shots. For Britain, which is short of trade negotiators and hoping to cut numerous deals simultaneously, that may be a warning sign. “The European Commission is bureaucratic and frustratingly unique that way, but they are sharp and they will not be in a rush,” the Canadian official warned. Get alerts on Canada when a new story is published Get alerts Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2020. All rights reserved. Reuse this content(opens in new window) Latest on Canada Meng Wanzhou Huawei CFO awaits court ruling on US extradition request Weekend long reads Meeting grizzlies in British Columbia Royal Family Canadians count the cost of hosting Harry and Meghan Special ReportSustainable Food and Agriculture Hazelnut sourcing spreads discontent for Nutella Follow the topics in this article EU trade Add to myFT UK trade Add to myFT Global trade Add to myFT Brexit Add to myFT Agricultural trade

 

[Danllan]

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Glad to see that you didn't include the BBC in that.



(In passing... I seem to recall a ruling that it is fine to post links to anything - meaning parts of articles - that a copyright holder has published freely on the web, can't think of the case name but I'll try to find it later - or I may be imagining it... )

 

[Hindsight]

Glad to see that you didn't include the BBC in that.



(In passing... I seem to recall a ruling that it is fine to post links to anything - meaning parts of articles - that a copyright holder has published freely on the web, can't think of the case name but I'll try to find it later - or I may be imagining it... )

I like fruit cake - especially with a hacksaw blade in it! I must get my kids to explain how to use the internet! Some of us oldies should be in a modern world care home.

Cheers.

 

[M-J-G]

No. President Trump has some bottom lines, and some fundamental policies that he hasn't and won't stray from. Support for Israel is one, support for the UK is another, hitting China economically is a third; others are more national than global.

Post Mrs T there haven't been any fit to tell the EU where to go, that's true enough; things have changed on that front now.

Ok then, Trump didn't have any interest in the UK beyond just being friends.
It makes me happy that there is so much selfless good will on his part. Yey!

As for Britain being fit (or not) to handle the EU, yes things have changed so we don't have to be fit for them now.

 

[Danllan]

Ok then, Trump didn't have any interest in the UK beyond just being friends.
It makes me happy that there is so much selfless good will on his part. Yey!

As for Britain being fit (or not) to handle the EU, yes things have changed so we don't have to be fit for them now.

Is there a point hidden in that somewhere?

 

[M-J-G]

Is there a point hidden in that somewhere?