Trump wanting us to ditch Europe.

Cancer is a by product of everything we do ronib, and it also has a very significant genetic component. It’s nonsense to suggest that the UK should expect people in other countries to increase their risk of cancer by producing a product we need to produce ourselves, and have done for hundreds of years. We should mitigate the risk here. Give your head a wobble.

Plus the NHS. - cancer is a by product of steel production. But it’s up North, so okay?

MaizieD the corpses who get shot?

Who is paying for the gun barrels, ronib?

Petra the gun barrels are trade
Yes I might have trouble with this. Don’t you?

ronib

The Trinity House Agreement between Germany and the Uk. Defence and economic ties.

ronib
It’s obvious that you have a problem with the word trade
The agreement with Germany has nothing to do with trade
as defined by the meaning. The action of selling and buying goods and services
Simples 🤷‍♀️

ronib

Ps steel production is highly polluting.

Yes steel production is polluting but if we want Tanks and other armoured vehicles we need steel, Germany is building them for us we only make the gun barrel.

So all we have done is export the pollution to Germany, in the same way we export all the other pollution on other stuff to China, Korea and many other places.

Ps steel production is highly polluting.

Elegran The Trinity House Agreement between Germany and the UK includes jobs for 400 munitions workers in the North of England to manufacture gun barrels using Sheffield steel.

(I hate to think about net zero in this context but that’s a separate issue).

keepingquiet

Well if the US is our main trading partner and they are going to slap on increased tariffs we really are scuppered aren't we?

MaizieD is right- we trade with individual EU countries under the umbrella of the single market, which we left.

I'm sorry you're confused.

Not you too, keepingquiet We export and import far more with the EU than we do with the USA.

ronib

Can anyone explain why Starmer has negotiated an individual deal with Germany?
I feel we are scuppered whatever happens.

He hasn't. These are figures for the trade with each COUNTRY but the trade agreement is with the EU AS A BLOC All the countries within it have the same tariffs. There is no separate trade deal with Germany.

Had you forgotten that Germany is a member of the EU?

ronib

I am not being deliberately obtuse but since I have found countries eg Germany, France, Switzerland etc listed as individual entities with figures next to them for export and import with the Uk, I am confused.

Then you didn't read to the bottom of those lists of import and export partners. Trade deals are with the EU bloc, not individually with Germany, France etc.

*UK exports to the EU are worth £357.2 billion (41.3%)
UK exports to the US are worth £191.5 billion (22.1%)*

*UK imports from the EU are worth £465.9 billion (51.9%)
Uk imports from the US are worth £119.4 billion (13.3%)*

There has been defence integration for many years, not just Germany, France and Italy as well, aerospace as well, the wings for Airbus aircraft are built in the north west. Europe and UK could do much more to increase cooperation and I’m sure they will.

It’s us that is at a disadvantage because so many of our industries have either been closed down or sold off to foreigners.

Yes, Trinity House Agreement is specific to Defence/Security and, financially, Related Defence industries

www.gov.uk/government/news/landmark-uk-germany-defence-agreement-to-strengthen-our-security-and-prosperity

and

"The deal will reflect the "breadth" of the two countries' bilateral relationship, it says, but makes clear it will need to be "in full accordance with Germany’s membership of the EU, and the UK’s relationship with the EU".

"The treaty, though, will not mean "reversing Brexit" or re-entering the single market, the PM said"

(BBC details of it 28th Aug)

The Trinity House Agreement between Germany and the Uk. Defence and economic ties.

I think that the US abandoned that 'Mother Country' stuff many years ago, nanna8. Probably when it achieved its independence...

Do Australians think of the UK as the'Mother Country'?

ronib

Can anyone explain why Starmer has negotiated an individual deal with Germany?
I feel we are scuppered whatever happens.

What 'individual deal' is thatronib?

The EU members don't do individual deals. All trade deals are negotiated by 'the EU' and apply to all the member states. It's a Single Market.

All things aside,though, I think there will always be some sort of reasonable relationship between the UK and the US, the UK being the ‘mother’ country and all. Just history. Europe ? Not so sure, some parts yes, some parts no.

Can anyone explain why Starmer has negotiated an individual deal with Germany?
I feel we are scuppered whatever happens.

Well if the US is our main trading partner and they are going to slap on increased tariffs we really are scuppered aren't we?

MaizieD is right- we trade with individual EU countries under the umbrella of the single market, which we left.

I'm sorry you're confused.

I am not being deliberately obtuse but since I have found countries eg Germany, France, Switzerland etc listed as individual entities with figures next to them for export and import with the Uk, I am confused.

The EU is ONE market, ronib. We don't have trade deals with each member state, we have a trade deal with the EU. Trade with the EU is greater than trade with the US.

Please stop being obtuse.

keepingquietbut we already have trade deals with the USA. In fact seems to me that the USA is our principal trading partner but I guess someone will tell me that I have misread the figures!!

Absolutely- but despite all that we still left the EU.

Now we have the mastermind behind Brexit attempting to feather his own nest by thinking he can help organise trade deals with the US...

There was never any lost sovereignty to get back.

Trade agreements and membership of international bodies, such as NATO all involve a small loss of 'sovereignty.

Despite our 'sovereignty' we are having to conform to EU regulations in order to trade with them (our largest trading partner) Our attempt as a separate quality mark fell flat as manufacturers still needed to conform to EU standards and use the CE mark for anything they sold into the EU and it just wasn't worth their while to have the two marks in operation at the same time.

The 'sovereignty thing was utter idiocy...