| fatslob-:O said:
Is it really something to laugh about ? Especially when both France and Italy could face floodgates of cheaper produce imports from the UK ? The EU doesn't seem to think it's all that funny given their demands over a hard border in the event of no deal ... (I wonder what also happens if Ireland isn't going to give into EU demands) As far as food is concerned, supply would be vastly enhanced since buying outside of the EU without tariffs are far cheaper and with less regulations. Hormone injected beef, chlorinated chicken, and GMOs FTW! (Again benefits of not accepting the EU's ridiculous standards) Even with subsidies which is a lie since the UK feels far less benefits from CAP so most the funds goes to either France, Germany or Spain and even Italy benefits more from it than the UK but EU produce is still expensive as shit! EU food is overpriced but since Britain is stuck in a customs union where EU regulates that you can't have good shit like hormone injected beef, chlorinated chicken or GMOs so they're stuck with their stupidity and have no other options. The UK doesn't need to stockpile on anything really since the Irish border is open so what it needs are free trade agreements with other countries! It's not all about the tariff rates, it's more about the non-tariff barriers like regulations and refusing to use advanced American/Canadian methods to agriculture highly distorts market pricing. Americans or Canadians (this one has far shorter growing seasons compared to the EU) can enjoy the fact that they pay so little for such big portions since those guys are allowed to waste food like no tomorrow ... |
So, just to be clear, you're in the Patrick Minford school of thought? You're happy to go tariff-free on WTO rules meaning we import from the EU and from all countries around the World tariff free and effectively destroy our agricultural sector in the UK? You get that just because we make imports tariff free doesn't mean anyone else has to reciprocate (and in fact no one would as that would mean opening up all global markets and damaging their own industries)?
So you're quite happy to completely destroy an entire industry in the UK and suffer the numerous job losses (not to mention loss in tax revenue) that would result from that?
How do you think we're going to get free trade deals with anyone if we're already tariff free? What would we use as negotiating leverage if everyone else can export whatever they want to us with no import tariffs but our farmers still need to pay tariffs to export around the World?
And EU foods are overpriced? You get that they're our nearest neighbors so even if production and regulatory costs are higher (although the EU has one of the largest free trade networks in the World so a number of Countries are already having to meet those standards), transport is immensely cheaper, especially for foods with a short shelf life.
You also get that UK has been a part of the EU in the development of the food/agricultural regulations? The UK voted for nearly all those regulatory standards in.
