Another low for the EU

[nampigai]

having been rather pro EU - then starting to doubt - due to the ineffective beoucracy(sp?) and now to disslike it.

now what have pissed me off to the point where I want us out of the EU is that after having cancelled all quotas on textile from China from january 1st the EU have now, under pressure from ineffective countries such as France,Portugal,Spain,Italy and the Eastern Europe re-established the quota.

After having encuraged companies to establish themselves in the far east - China they have now with a stroke of a pen caused a lot of companies to go bancrupt (not yet, but it will happen SOON) All the textile companies have allready placed orders and paid for the autumn collections - goods they now can't clear through customs because some idiot wanna protect some ineffective countries.

Hooray for the globalisation

Norway must be clapping their little hands - they will make millions when the companies in EU (those who can afford)will be forced to take the goods in transit via Norway for custom clearance.

the EU are leading the same protection policy that the americans, it's the worst hypocrit b/s to talk about globalisation and then punish the countries trying to evolve!

damn the EU and their turn coat hypcrites

[nemafakei]

Hm. I'm not sure of the details, exactly, but I can see arguments for both sides.

Yes, protectionism can lead to unfair discrimination.

But in this instance it might be the case that poorer minimum working conditions have unfairly lowered the costs. If the Chinese companies can undercut EU companies by doing things that would be illegal in the EU, for example, then the EU needs to intervene. Quotas, however, are not the way to do that. Tariffs (e.g. the difference between the mimimim wage here and there*) should be added to imports so that companies are operating on a level field.

*Of course, factors like cost of living have to be taken into account - if it's cheaper to live in China, then lower costs because of that cannot induce tariffs.

[Edric O]

Chinese textiles are cheaper because they treat their workers like slaves and pay them subsistence wages. The EU should not have cancelled the quotas in the first place.

To generalize Nema's argument, if some goods from country A gain a competitive edge in country B because they were made using a process that would be illegal in country B, then their competitive edge should be removed by imposing tariffs.

[nampigai]

fair enough - however consumers wont pay for the higher cost of the goods. Besides you fail to see that the cost of goods in china is cheaper as well, so just because they aren't paid as much as the ineffective europeans doesn't mean that they lead misserable lifes!

Before the quotas the amount of textile from china was exactly the same as it is now, the only thing was some companies send it in transit through a third country! so infact nothing has changed.

Now EU has reestablished the quota + made an import stop taking several companies as hustages and not giving a flying fuck about it! This is idoacracy.

hooray for the EU hypocracy and the old fools sitting down their waisting our money and living the sweet life. Maybe they should start putting their money to better use!

[nemafakei]

"however consumers wont pay for the higher cost of the goods"

Fair enough - if the externalities make the goods too

" Besides you fail to see that the cost of goods in china is cheaper as well, ff."

No, I don't:

"*Of course, factors like cost of living have to be taken into account - if it's cheaper to live in China, then lower costs because of that cannot induce tariffs."

"Before the quotas the amount of textile from china was exactly the same as it is now, the only thing was some companies send it in transit through a third country! so infact nothing has changed"

Very silly. Tariffs should be imposed on all goods with illegal measures in place at source as well as just from the immediate vendor. I don't defend quotas, though, they're too crude a tool.

[Edric O]

fair enough - however consumers wont pay for the higher cost of the goods.

Yes they will. They did it before the Chinese started flooding the market with their textiles, didn't they? You cannot justify exploitation by arguing that it leads to cheaper products. By this logic, one may support slavery, because slave labour makes products REALLY cheap!

Of course you Besides you fail to see that the cost of goods in china is cheaper as well, so just because they aren't paid as much as the ineffective europeans doesn't mean that they lead misserable lifes!

Actually, they do live miserable lives. A living wage in China is indeed less than a living wage in Europe, but those workers are paid less than the Chinese standard for a living wage.

Before the quotas the amount of textile from china was exactly the same as it is now, the only thing was some companies send it in transit through a third country! so infact nothing has changed.

Yes, I am not defending the quotas. They are stupid, I agree. Tariffs should be used instead.