Canada-EU trade talks collapse as Freeland walks out

[ferri]

Last-ditch efforts to salvage Canada's trade deal with the European Union appear to have collapsed Friday, as International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland walked out of talks with the regional government of Wallonia. The region has been blocking the deal that was supposed to be signed next week.

Freeland said that the failure to come to a consensus and proceed with signing the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) at the planned Canada-EU Summit next Thursday was a "missed opportunity."

more here:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada- ... 15332?cid=

[rustled]

Well, I'm not sure why we'd bother to have free trade agreements if we're going to slap tariffs on willy-nilly as the fed. gov. did with drywall.

http://journalofcommerce.com/Government/News/2016/10/Ottawa-asks-CITT-to-speed-up-drywall-tariff-inquiry-1019318W/

I wonder if the government looked at what they could do to help the Ontario company be more competitive before slapping on a tariff that tripled the cost of the product overnight. (Maybe look at reducing some of the taxes that are compounding Canadian manufacturers' and shippers' costs?)

Many contractors with signed quotes are in a terrible bind now, as fulfilling their obligations will cost them dearly. And this tariff isn't helping make housing more affordable for Canadians, either.

When we have free trade agreements, and our supply systems have naturally evolved based on those free trade agreements, there are serious repercussions when changing policy means Canadian industry is no longer playing on a near-level field.

[bob vernon]

The headline should really be "Freeland walks out as Canada-EU trade talks collapse."

[hobbyguy]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37735968

"A very obvious one is that it is going to be difficult for the EU to implement trade and investment deals, perhaps with anyone, writes Andrew Walker, the BBC's economics correspondent."

Therein lies part of the problem. Many citizens of all countries do NOT want the "investment" part of these so called "trade" deals. That part hands economic sovereignty over to multinational corporations, and folks like myself are fed up with that. There is no way that foreign multinationals should be allowed to sue our government. End of story.

I am happy that the these few Belgian folks may kill this deal. It will be better for rank and file Canadians if it just goes away, and carries the TPP down the drain with it.

[occasional thoughts]

So far as I'm concerned, all free-trade talks and deals are phony. They are a handful of individual bi-lateral deals on specific products or commodities rather than "free trade". Ruse, ruse, ruse, the big lie, etc., etc. whenever you see "free trade".

[dontrump]

Chrystia Freeland obviously is not the person up to the job. she walked out of the meetings in tears and said all she wanted to do was get home and be with her children.Frail weak people like this can not stand pressure or adversity
Theses are the people we have been forced to have represent us because all you liberals voted in TRUDEAU

[sooperphreek]

this is a bad deal all around. soon if it goes through all of our prescriptions will be highway robbery like everywhere else.

[hobbyguy]

dontrump, just for you: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37749236

Chucking peanuts at the minister is just that. Try understanding the issues involved.

"Wallonia, a region of 3.6 million people, wants stronger safeguards on labour, environmental and consumer standards.

On Monday, it emerged that two other Socialist-led, French-speaking parliaments also opposed Ceta."

The situation in Belgium is rather complex. The Belgian central government got nowhere with them. The EU trade brass got nowhere with them.

Good for those 3 Belgian districts. CETA as negotiated was bad for Canada and bad for the EU. It was negotiated by Harperites who never saw an Investment/Trade deal they never liked. It stinks. No problems with reasonable trade deals, but these "investment" deals that are tacked on are Trojan horses that are always bad news for the average citizen.

Think about it, this deal was negotiated by the same crew that thought a "free" trade/investment deal with Honduras was a good deal. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2015/country-chapters/honduras

Are you are willing to accept that Honduras deal as good for Canada, or good for the world?... I am not. We are enabling a bunch of corrupt thugs.

So when I see an agreement negotiated by that crew, I know it is at best suspect, because their "bar" on what is good for Canada is, well, virtually lying in the mud.

Enough of these "free" trade deals that include carte blanche for the sociopathic multi-nationals. Glad to see CETA failing, one down, one to go - TPP.

By the way, I am surprised to see a moniker "dontrump" supporting one of these bureaucratic sellouts of our country. Trump would veto CETA in an instant!

[Glacier]

This can be no surprise to Freeland. Before entering politics, she was a journalist focusing on foreign affairs and author of Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else. The book, as the title suggests, concerns the increasing concentration of wealth in ever-fewer hands and the economic consequences on those left behind. It is no small irony that Wallonia, with just 3.5 million people, is an example of those who fear being left behind. With a population roughly the size of Greater Montreal, above-average unemployment and heavily protected farmers, locals are increasingly concerned that their livelihoods could be threatened if cheaper Canadian goods (particularly agricultural) were to squeeze its exports out of European markets.

Wallonia, then, is a microcosm of the forces that have been increasingly vocal in their opposition to trade. In defending free trade, “progressive” forces, such as Canadian Liberals and U.S. Democrats, have emphasized the need to protect those who are vulnerable to the shifts in fortune it entails. That they have failed to act on their words is evident in the increasing difficulty of obtaining approval for new pacts. The same people who emphasize the importance of “social licence” have failed to convince Walloons to grant it. Going home mad won’t alter that unfortunate reality.

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comme ... t-wallonia

[Omnitheo]

I am pleased to see the Canadian Government conclude the final chapter in what has been an incredible effort by so many in securing unprecedented free market access to our European allies. When we started these negotiations years ago, we envisioned not only continuing to expand Canada’s trade agreements for our shared, continued prosperity but wanted to create an environment where Canadian businesses have preferential access to over 500 million EU customers; something that will now reshape Canadian markets and exports for generations to come. Canada is the first G7 country to have a trade agreement with the EU and of that we should be very proud.

[sooperphreek]

why on earth are we so proud of higher pill costs, more big brother when it comes to the internet and governments can be sued for whatever big business wants? all for a measly 30 billion more than we already get from europe who is only 20 percent of our trade with the US. id rather see canzuk and free movement to australia and the UK. now that would be an achievement!