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| Subject: Canada and EU impose sanctions on the US | |
Author: Jim (Canada) | [ Next Thread |
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] Date Posted: 15:49:43 12/22/04 Wed Here is an interesting development. It shows that Canada is moving in the right direction. Ok, it is with the EU, but at least it shows us working with a block that Britain is involved in rather than with the US. This is encouraging and can be pushed more to help our objectives. Here is the article: Canada and the European Union said Tuesday that they would cooperate to maximize the effect of sanctions they plan to impose on the United States in retaliation for measures protecting the U.S. steel industry. Canada's trade minister, James Peterson, and the EU trade commissioner, Peter Mandelson, agreed on a joint approach during talks at EU headquarters here a month after the World Trade Organization authorized punitive duties on U.S. exports in the steel dispute. "Our officials will be working very closely with Peter's to coordinate what lists we come up with initially and when we start imposing retaliatory measures as authorized by the WTO," Peterson said, referring to U.S. products that would be the objects of sanctions. The WTO authorized the EU, Canada and six other complainants to introduce sanctions after Washington failed to repeal a 2000 law that allowed American companies to receive proceeds from duties levied by the U.S. government on foreign products allegedly sold at below-market prices in the United States. The U.S. steel industry has been the major beneficiary of the law. Mandelson has said the sanctions could be applied early next year. "We are all stronger in having a united front," he told Peterson. The value of the sanctions has yet to be determined, but trade officials have said they could amount to more than $150 million a year. U.S. officials have said Washington would comply with the ruling declaring the law illegal and remove the need for sanctions. On another trade dispute with the United States, Mandelson said the EU would stick to a plan to end on Jan. 1 tariffs imposed on U.S. goods in response to U.S. corporate tax breaks. But he said a new U.S. tax law still fell short of EU requirements and warned the sanctions could be reintroduced if the WTO ruled that European concerns were justified. The U.S. Foreign Sales Corporation tax legislation was ruled illegal by the WTO. The EU imposed an initial duty of 5 percent on a broad range of goods from steel to textiles and paper last March, increasing it up to 14 percent this month. Those sanctions will now end on Jan. 1, but the EU complained at the same time to the WTO about remaining subsidies under the U.S. law. These include three years of transition relief for companies that have benefited from the old legislation and continued benefits for all exporters that entered binding contracts before Sept. 17, 2003. The clause favours producers of large capital goods with long delivery times like Microsoft, Motorola, General Electric and Boeing. Washington maintains that it has honored its obligation to remove illegal subsidies. The WTO is not expected to rule on the legitimacy of remaining U.S. subsidies until September 2005. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, has proposed that the regulation lifting the sanctions on Jan. 1 should also provide for reimposing punitive tariffs - on about 60 percent of the $4 billion in U.S. exports - if the WTO backs it on remaining subsidies. Diplomats said a minority of the EU's 25 states, including Britain and the Netherlands, objected to this clause, saying it could unnecessarily aggravate Washington at a time of tense trade relations. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| [> Subject: Well... | |
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Author: Dave (UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 17:36:48 12/22/04 Wed I seem to remember that there was talk of Canada wanting to join the EU from certain (perhaps lunatic) quarters. However, it has just given me an idea. Canada, Australia and New Zealand should apply to join the EU. Given that many of the ex-Soviet states have been, or will be admitted, together with the fact that they are even entertaining the notion of Turkey joining, this should not be a problem. After that, we then conspire to kick out all the non-English speaking countries! Mission Accomplished... [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Or all the English-speaking countries leave the EU together | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 17:56:04 12/22/04 Wed [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: Nice Idea not very likely | |
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Author: Matt(UK) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 23:21:39 12/22/04 Wed Turkey..next to the EU Eastern Bloc.. next to the EU Australia...Thousands of miles away Canada..Thousands of miles away New Zealand..Thousands of miles away Of course this would be bloody brilliant but it won't happen the Franco-German alliance wouldn't allow it. Could u see them tolerating an influx on English speaking nations. Canada may be given association status at most I feel. The French and German public seem to have deep problems with allowing Turkey to join which is after all the EUs neighbour! [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> Subject: Canada and the EU | |
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Author: Jim (Canada) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 12:42:35 12/23/04 Thu Cyprus and Malta are two Commonwealth nations which are now EU members. The fact that Canada is working closer with the EU is good while the UK is still part of the EU. It will help to restore and build up some of the economic ties with the UK, which I am sure would be maintained when the UK leaves the EU. It also shows that Canada is interested in more than just North America. This is only a baby step - but it is in the right direction and it does help us. I also agree that France and Germany may not want Canada in the EU. However, that being said, France is keen to strengthen ties with Quebec. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |