"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
tim... wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
tim... wrote:
there are hundreds of country pairs that happily trade with each other
without a separate deal in place. the idea that it is difficult is
nonsense

Can you name a pair of countries that trade happily with no formal
trade deal?

I meant other than standard WTO rules

(I rather thought that was obvious in the context of my other
contributions)

I'd not really call that a formal trade deal. More of a blanket one.

If it were just fine, why bother with any other deals?

TBH, I don't know

The official line that having a deal between country A and country B
increases the wealth of both countries by billions looks somewhat bogus to
me.

If every county A and every country B enter into a trade deal that would
mean that the wealth of the world would be increased by gazillions.

But, of course, that is not possible. I'm only going to buy the same number
of pairs of shoes each year after all the agreements are signed than before,
so I can't see where this extra economic activity is going to come from.

ISTM that individual trade deals are just a world wide Ponzi scheme where
only the early entrants win.

Much better to work to reduce WTO tariffs IMHO.

tim