Latin America

Judi Lynn

(160,524 posts) Sat Jun 21, 2014, 04:02 AM Jun 2014

Merkel wants barriers to Mercosur trade removed

Merkel wants barriers to Mercosur trade removed
By Staff Writers, Reuters
Bilaterals.org
Friday, Jun 20, 2014

German Chancellor Angela Merkel assured Brazil on Sunday that she will do her utmost to bring to a successful end the 15-year-old negotiation of a free trade deal between the European Union and South America’s Mercosur trade bloc.

Merkel, stopping in the Brazilian capital on her way to see the German soccer team play in the World Cup on Monday, said Germany and Brazil, the two largest economies in Europe and Latin America, had much to gain from more trade and investment.

"We have a lot of interest in reaching a free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union," she said in a statement to reporters after meeting with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

"I will do what is possible so that we can take a step forward and overcome the obstacles."

More:
http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_66813.shtml

2 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Merkel wants barriers to Mercosur trade removed (Original Post) Judi Lynn Jun 2014 OP

I'm totally in favour of fair trade agreements, delrem Jun 2014 #1

Anyone who has assumed "Free Trade" is "Fair Trade" will be horrified once he/she takes the time Judi Lynn Jun 2014 #2

delrem

(9,688 posts)

1. I'm totally in favour of fair trade agreements,

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Sat Jun 21, 2014, 09:47 PM

Jun 2014

though only on condition that such agreements may be broken or amended according as evolving understanding of what is "fair" (e.g. an evolving understanding of "global warming" conditions an evolving understanding of what environmental protections are necessary).

"Fair Trade" is the opposite of "Free Trade".

In fact, exactly those conditions that dignify "Fair Trade" - e.g. mutually agreed on environmental regulations, mutually agreed on regulations for free association of workers (union rights), mutually agreed on standards for health-care and pharma-care, and so on - are the conditions most anathema to "Free Trade".

IMO the term 'Fair Trade' is long past due to be part of our general vocabulary, at least as powerful as the term 'Free Trade'.

Judi Lynn

(160,524 posts)

2. Anyone who has assumed "Free Trade" is "Fair Trade" will be horrified once he/she takes the time