"bert" wrote in message
...
In article , tim...
writes

"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.

As a general rule trade deals do reduce tariffs

Yes.

and with lower tariffs international trade increases.

That is very arguable indeed. The volume of trade is determined
by what is consumed and that isnt affected by tariffs very much.

The point of the trade deals is that more trade happens between
the signatories to the trade deal than with others outside the deal.

However if you have followed the TTIP saga you will know they can and do
contain all sorts of things, for example the right of large US
corporations to sue national governments for compensation if they
subsequently introduce any legislation which impacts on the investment
plans made on the basis of the trade deal.

That is really only the case with the trade deals the US does.
There arent to many other trade deals that have those provisions.

Yet Labour supports remain which makes TTIP applicable in the UK if it
ever does come to pass.

It wont, you watch, because the US has gone cold on the
idea now and because given that any country in the EU
has a veto, it won't happen. It is all just more **** and wind.