Will US-EU Trade Become Too Free?

Der Spiegel ^ | January 23, 2014 | Michaela Schiessl

[managusta]

Politicians who are negotiating the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), view things differently, of course. Their task is a massive one. The pact is to go far beyond merely eliminating tariffs. In addition, standards are to be aligned and technical regulations, norms and approval procedures are to be harmonized in order to ensure that both goods and services can be transported across the Atlantic as free from bureaucracy and barriers as possible.

Some aspects to be negotiated make a lot of sense -- ways of coming up with universal charger plugs for electric cars, for example. But other, more controversial issues, are also on the agenda, including whether the Americans will be allowed to sell genetically modified corn without labeling it as such in the EU. Or whether the US Food and Drug Administration will be allowed to continue its assault on raw milk cheeses, such as Roquefort from France.

[managusta]

The manner in which TTIP is being negotiated is also not exactly increasing faith in the process. Everything related to the talks is being kept highly classified. Even though the deal will affect the futures and interests of 500 million EU citizens (and 350 million Americans), member states agreed to keep them in the dark about TTIP negotiations. All papers, documents, emails and negotiating minutes have been marked secret.

[Conspiracy Guy]

New World Order.

[alloysteel]

The fact is, agricultural production in every one of the European nations is much more regulated and subsidized in regards to production and code enforcements than it is even in the territory once known as “the United States of America”. Compared to the European Union, the costs of production are much lower here, and without some kind of quota or tariff, would soon swamp the domestic European producers and destroy the base, leaving those countries much more dependent on the good graces of the Current Regime or any of their successors to have their food supply demands filled.

Europeans as a whole have not forgotten the privations that were their lot during and after WW II, and they never want to be dependent on foreign sources of food or fiber. This kind of agricultural protectionism goes back to the days of the Old Testament, in which the granaries were filled during the “fat years”, to protect against the depredations of the “lean years”.

[bill1952]

the costs of production are much lower here, and without some kind of quota or tariff, would soon swamp the domestic European producers

Which simply goes to show that this isn't about "free trade" at all now doesn't it?

[SeminoleCounty]

What really should be noted to every supporter of Free Trade is that this deal is being negotiated by BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA. Obama supports Free Trade...Free Trade is a LIBERAL Policy and idea

Now...with the EU deal....does the EU continue to tariff US imports with the VAT?

[SeminoleCounty]

Exactly your post #3

I will add....Europeans also felt this way after WW I . In fact, once European Ag production improved in the ‘20s...they put tariffs on Ag products from the Americas. These tariffs were partly instrumental in the Great Depression...and led the US to counter w Smoot-Hawley Tariff

[Carry_Okie]

The pact is to go far beyond merely eliminating tariffs. In addition, standards are to be aligned and technical regulations, norms and approval procedures are to be harmonized in order to ensure that both goods and services can be transported across the Atlantic as free from bureaucracy and barriers as possible.

Otherwise known as sufficient regulatory barriers to keep down the little guy but not enough to hinder large corporations.

[CowboyJay]

"Otherwise known as sufficient regulatory barriers to keep down the little guy but not enough to hinder large corporations."

Bingo. When I can buy a house in Iceland and move there and start a business, I'll believe the "free trade" BS is sincere. As far as I'm concerned, it's never been about anything but redistributing wealth and income from the US middle class to the rest of the world.