BBC: US and EU consider bilateral trade talks

[pampango]

US and EU leaders have said at the conclusion of a White House summit that they could launch bilateral trade talks to boost jobs and growth. The statement followed wide-ranging talks between US President Barack Obama and European Union leaders.

The US and EU account for around half of the world's economic output. The 27 countries of the eurozone make up the largest trading partner for the US.

Although the US has struck free trade deals with countries around the world in recent years, it has not engaged in bilateral trade talks with the EU.

Trade between the US and EU is worth around $3.6bn (£2.3bn) per day and overall investment between the two supports around 7.1m jobs, according to the US Trade Representative's office.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15932221

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[JDPriestly]

2. Oh no. Another surrender of our national sovereignty.

Look where the economic links between European countries got them -- the right to self-government has given way to the rights of creditors. Greece now has a government that was not elected but rather at least in part picked by its creditors. The Greek people were given no say about whether to accept severe austerity measures.

We don't need more trade agreements. We need to be a nation and stand up for our ideals.

When we enter into trade agreements, we cede to extra-national bodies a portion of our right to national self-determination. We replace the authority of local governance with the authority of international courts, trade organizations and ultimately multi-national military groupings.

Our Constitution is being slowly superseded by these trade agreements. I know this sounds crazy, but read the agreements. Follow the cases that deal with international disputes about compliance with NAFTA for example. I am not putting forward a conspiracy theory. I am talking about reality.

Thus far, the incursions on our right to self-government due to these trade agreements do not seem very serious -- Mexican truck drivers in the U.S., international limitations on our right to establish strict air quality guidelines, limitations on Canada's right to place certain environmental restrictions within its borders -- little things.

But the potential damage to our right to local determination about many things that affect our quality of life is very real and could be enormous.

I favor no more trade agreements until we find out how much the agreements we now have constrict our self-government.