Brown and Obama to go head to head over imports.

[Oscar Namechange]

Gordon Brown in US trade war fear | The Sun |News

GORDON Brown was last night caught up in a growing jobs row with Barack Obama which threatens to explode into a trade war.

The Prime Minister was thrown into a diplomatic crisis after President Obama promised to ban foreign steel, iron and textiles imports to America to safeguard US jobs.

The “Buy American” package flies in the face of Mr Brown’s demands to end protectionism and keep world trade alive.

Last night Downing Street made it clear he is opposed to Washington’s move. The PM’s spokesman said: “He has warned against protectionism — he has made his views very clear.”

Mr Brown was plunged deeper into the escalating crisis after Britain’s EU trade commissioner Baroness Ashton issued a warning to America.

Lady Ashton pledged that if the US passes a bill to prohibit European goods, “we will not stand idly by”. Falling out with Mr Obama before he has formally met the new President would hand Mr Brown a major diplomatic headache.

The PM is desperate to harness the US leader as a key ally in his worldwide economic rescue package.

It is crucial to his plans to have America on board at the G20 economic summit in London in April.

But Mr Brown has repeatedly warned world leaders NOT to put up the shutters to goods from abroad to save home-grown industries.

President Obama unveiled the “Buy American” clause to force his £600billion injection for the US economy into law. Millions of Americans are delighted at the move, which makes importing steel, iron and textiles cripplingly expensive.







It will mean US jobs are protected in the short term.

But it flies in the face of Mr Brown’s demands for world leaders to carry on trading internationally.

Last night, the EU stepped up the pressure by threatening to take America to the World Trade Organisation.

[Galbally]

Its just political rhetoric. The US and the EU have nothing to gain from entering into a trade war, it might make some nice populist nationalistic headlines for a while (like the cant about the Italian workers in the British refinery dispute).

But in the long run, no one would benefit from a trade war between Europe and America, in fact it would be a catastrophe for all concerned, so it won't happen, unless things get completely out of control.

[Oscar Namechange]

Galbally;1126717 wrote: Its just political rhetoric. The US and the EU have nothing to gain from entering into a trade war, it might make some nice populist nationalistic headlines for a while (like the cant about the Italian workers in the British refinery dispute).

But in the long run, no one would benefit from a trade war between Europe and America, in fact it would be a catastrophe for all concerned, so it won't happen, unless things get completely out of control.


Well maybe, but it's got my back up. Who the hell does Obama think he is??

Or has no-body pointed out to him that Britain is the EU yet? and could damage his country.

[Galbally]

oscar;1126730 wrote: Well maybe, but it's got my back up. Who the hell does Obama think he is??

Or has no-body pointed out to him that Britain is the EU yet? and could damage his country.


Obama is the President of the United States, and he has the authority and the right to set policy on such issues as he sees fit Oscar. I don't think President Obama wants to bring his country into a trade war with the EU, no more than the EU want a trade war with the US, it would be disasterous.

The EU Ambassador to the US, (who incidently is Irish, he is called John Bruton) delivered a letter from the EU to senior members of the Obama administration on this precise issue yesterday, saying that the EU would retaliate if the US entered into blatant protectionism, the Americans have responded and said that this will not happen. The points have been made, both sides see the problems at hand.

You see this is why the EU is actually very important for the economic well being of all the member states Oscar, and it has the clout to be able to actually deal with these sorts of very large scale issues effectively (unlike individual European countries) it does actually work in our interests, its not a "German Racket" as Tebbit once famously said.

Again, to reiterate, obviously there is a massive recession going on, and the Americans have to look to helping their people out of it, just as we do over here; but free trade is going to be one of the things that helps us, everyone understands that point, except for extreme nationalists and the hard left and right types.

[Oscar Namechange]

Galbally;1126738 wrote: Obama is the President of the United States, and he has the authority and the right to set policy on such issues as he sees fit Oscar. I don't think President Obama wants to bring his country into a trade war with the EU, no more than the EU want a trade war with the US, it would be disasterous.

The EU Ambassador to the US, (who incidently is Irish, he is called John Bruton) delivered a letter from the EU to senior members of the Obama administration on this precise issue, saying that the EU would retaliate if the US entered into blatant protectionism, the Americans have responded and said that this will not happen. The points have been made, both sides see the problems at hand.

You see this is why the EU is actually very important for the economic well being of all the member states Oscar, and it has the clout to be able to actually deal with these sorts of very large scale issues effectively (unlike individual European countries) it does actually work in our interests, its not a "German Racket" as Tebbit once famously said.

Again, to reiterate, obviously there is a massive recession going on, and the Americans have to look to helping their people out of it, just as we do over here; but free trade is going to be one of the things that helps us, everyone understands that point, except for extreme nationalists and the hard left and right types.


Sorry but it still gets my back up.

I agree with what your saying nut look at the effect 'protectionism' is already having in this country with the possible return to the Labour Right of Strikes etc.

I appreciate we all in it but i don't see Britain or the EU getting 'protectionist'. It is vital for free trade that Obama does not see himself as a maverick and even put the economy of the US in greater peril in the long term by taking this stance.

Come on?.... Can you imagine the EU stopping all US imports?

[Galbally]

oscar;1126744 wrote: Sorry but it still gets my back up.

I agree with what your saying nut look at the effect 'protectionism' is already having in this country with the possible return to the Labour Right of Strikes etc.

I appreciate we all in it but i don't see Britain or the EU getting 'protectionist'. It is vital for free trade that Obama does not see himself as a maverick and even put the economy of the US in greater peril in the long term by taking this stance.

Come on?.... Can you imagine the EU stopping all US imports?


No, I don't see that happening, it would serve no purpose.

There is going to be a meeting of the G20 in London in April chaired by your Hero Gordon; its imperative that that meeting comes up with something solid to stabilize the global financial system, re-regulate global Capitalism, and reinforce the systems of global trade. If we don't do that, and take radical steps to reboot a failed and discredited system, we are going to have a global depression, at which point all bets, political, ecomomic, and social will be off. We will be into a dangerous situation then.

Thats the meeting to watch out for. Lets hope these world leaders get their shyte together and come up with a coherent response to the problems that started all of this crap. Because it wasn't ordinary American or European workers just doing their jobs; it was the leaders of the financial system, and the crazy philosophy they have been pursuing, that game is over, we need a new set of rules. Adult rules.

[Oscar Namechange]

Galbally;1126751 wrote: No, I don't see that happening, it would serve no purpose.

There is going to be a meeting of the G20 in London in April chaired by your Hero Gordon; its imperative that that meeting comes up with something solid to stabilize the global financial system, re-regulate global Capitalism, and reinforce the systems of global trade. If we don't do that, and take radical steps to reboot a failed and discredited system, we are going to have a global depression, at which point all bets, political, ecomomic, and social will be off. We will be into a dangerous situation then.

Thats the meeting to watch out for. Lets hope these world leaders get their shyte together and come up with a coherent response to the problems that started all of this crap. Because it wasn't ordinary American or European workers just doing their jobs; it was the leaders of the financial system, and the crazy philosophy they have been pursuing, that game is over, we need a new set of rules. Adult rules.


I agree but what i am saying is......... we know it.... the EU know it..... but has some-one told Obama yet?

I don't know about global depression when Brown and the EU is together in re-booting the system. I believe Obama will cause a rapid depression to his economy if he thinks tthat the US can now be self sufficient. Don't put anything past Brown.... remember Iceland?

[Kindle]

Tho there are sections of industry here in the States that want a "Buy American" policy enacted so that we could reap more from our stimulus package, there is the very real threat of these countries not purchasing what we want to sell abroad. It is a good checks and balance.

I will say, since NAFTA has gone into effect, I personally don't feel we, in the States, are better off than before we had it.

[Oscar Namechange]

Kindle;1126929 wrote: Tho there are sections of industry here in the States that want a "Buy American" policy enacted so that we could reap more from our stimulus package, there is the very real threat of these countries not purchasing what we want to sell abroad. It is a good checks and balance.

I will say, since NAFTA has gone into effect, I personally don't feel we, in the States, are better off than before we had it.


For any country to consider themselves self-sufficinet is ludicrous. We have had the same said here about buying British.

For 1) Families on low income simply will not pay £10 more for a product than one from China at a third of the price.

2) It will simply hike up prices by greeder manufacturers and retail out-lets.

3) Ultimately, it is nothing short of a dictatorship when your leader begins to tell you what you must buy. that is dictating life-style choice.

[wildhorses]

The Prime Minister was thrown into a diplomatic crisis after President Obama promised to ban foreign steel, iron and textiles imports to America to safeguard US jobs.

This is not really true. They are going to "buy american and hire american" for projects that are paid for by the stimulus package. This does not mean that all imports will be banned. If we want to make the country strong again we have to produce something and hire americans. They want to keep the stimulus money circulating in USA so it has a maximum impact. We cannot afford to let this money go all over the place.

[wildhorses]

Kindle;1126929 wrote: Tho there are sections of industry here in the States that want a "Buy American" policy enacted so that we could reap more from our stimulus package, there is the very real threat of these countries not purchasing what we want to sell abroad. It is a good checks and balance.

I will say, since NAFTA has gone into effect, I personally don't feel we, in the States, are better off than before we had it.


I agree. NAFTA has had terrible effects on this country. It never should have been done. Not in its present form anyway.

[gmc]

It's remarkably short sighted.

When bush put up tariffs on foreign steel to win votes from the steel workers he had to change his mind because all those American manufacturers that use steel were furious about it as it made then uncompetitive having to pay more for steel than they should have been. It was their lobbying that got him to change his mind not concern about trade with europe. If you want to export the last thing you need with a weakening dollar is to be forced to use the most expensive raw materials money can buy.

Steel Tariffs Appear to Have Backfired on Bush (washingtonpost.com)