EU-Britain Negotiations-Stalemate: No more trade talks unless EU changes position, Johnson says

There will be no more trade talks with the European Union unless the bloc fundamentally changes its stance on the discussions, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told his Greek counterpart in a call on Tuesday.

Read more at: No more trade talks unless EU changes position, Johnson says | Reuters

Britain: Brexit poll: Brits say leaving EU without a trade deal would be bad - by Adam Payne

• Nearly two-thirds of Brits believe leaving the Brexit transition period without a trade deal with the EU would be a "bad" outcome for the UK, a new poll has found.
• The survey shared exclusively with Business Insider, found strong opposition to a no-deal outcome in every part of the UK.
• The highest level of opposition was in Scotland, where polls suggest growing support for independence.
• Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently described no deal as a "good outcome" and last weekend said the UK would "prosper mightily" in the event of widespread disruption.

 Read more at: 
Brexit poll: Brits say leaving EU without a trade deal would be bad - Business Insider

EU-Britain-Brexit: Trade negotiators meet, as deadline looms

Downing Street said the meeting with Lord Frost - held with less than a week to go until the UK's deadline for agreeing a deal - had been "useful".
But differences remained on important issues, a spokesperson added.

A No 10 spokesman confirmed that informal discussions would resume in Brussels next week.

"We have had useful discussions this week," the spokesman said.

"Progress has been made in some areas, however there still remains differences on some important issues but we remain committed to trying to agree a FTA (free trade agreement).

"We continue to want an agreement, we continue to want an FTA but it is important that we can agree on some issues."

The talks came after European Council President Charles Michel said the sides were approaching "the moment of truth".

The UK's post-Brexit transition period, during which its trading relationship with the EU has remained the same, is due to end in December.

Read mor at: 
Brexit: Trade negotiators meet, as deadline looms - BBC News

Brexit negotiations between EU and Britain: EU′s Charles Michel lashes out at UK over withdrawal treaty

European Council President Charles Michel took a thinly veiled swipe at
the United Kingdom on Friday over its threats to renege on parts of the
EU withdrawal treaty it signed in January.


Read more: 
Brexit: EU′s Charles Michel lashes out at UK over withdrawal treaty | News | DW | 25.09.2020

Brexit: EU-UK talks: 'disappointing' progress, says Barnier

COVID-19, with both chief negotiator Michel Barnier and the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson being personally affected.

In the meantime, a June deadline for significant progress is looming, and key arguments remain unresolved. Questions remain over fishing rights, how closely the UK will stick to EU regulations and allowing a role for the EU's top court, the European Court of Justice.

More bumps in the road came this week, as the EU Commission opened infringement proceedings against the UK for failing to comply with free movement rules. While the UK said the EU was at risk of breaching the terms of the Brexit agreement over British expats registering to stay in the EU.

Read more at:
EU-UK talks: 'disappointing' progress, says Barnier | Euronews

France Rejects 11-Month Deadline UK Sets on EU Trade Talks | Voice of America - English

France made it clear Friday that it does not want to be shackled to the tight deadline British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seeking to impose for the upcoming free trade talks between Britain and the European Union.

Read more at: France Rejects 11-Month Deadline UK Sets on EU Trade Talks | Voice of America - English

U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators planning for delay of December tariffs - MarketWatch

U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators are laying the groundwork for a delay of a fresh round of tariffs set to kick in on Dec. 15, officials on both sides said,...

Read more at:

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-and-chinese-trade-negotiators-planning-for-delay-of-december-tariffs-2019-12-10-191035918

China-US relations-tariffs : Toughest part of US - China trade deal stll lies ahead

Why the toughest part of a U.S.-China trade deal still lies ahead

Read more at :
https://on.mktw.net/2UyJUSc

China-US relations: Tariff issues continue to be sticking points as both China and US continue their haggling in trade war talks

"U.S., China haggle over toughest issues in trade war talks" -

Read more at:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china/u-s-china-haggle-over-toughest-issues-in-trade-war-talks-idUSKCN1QA2NH

EU-US Relations -Trade: EU urges US to cut red tape on liquefied natural gas exports

The European Union is urging the United States to cut red tape and simplify rules for the export of its liquefied natural gas if Washington wants the 28-nation bloc to buy more.

Amid a trade dispute over tariffs, President Donald Trump and Commission President Jean-Claude

Juncker agreed last month to start talks intended to achieve "zero tariffs" and "zero subsidies" on non-automotive industrial goods.

The EU also agreed to build more terminals to import U.S. liquefied natural gas.

Juncker said Thursday that if it's cheap enough, U.S. gas could help the EU diversify energy supplies and break its dependency on Russia.

But he said "the U.S. needs to play its role in doing away with red tape restrictions

Read more: EU urges US to cut red tape on liquefied natural gas exports

France-US Relations: Is it all a question about dandruff?

Donald Trump inspect Emmanuel Macron for dandruff

Hosting his first state visit, President Trump on Tuesday morning welcomed his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to the White House during a formal arrival ceremony on the South Lawn.

The president and First Lady Melania Trump greeted Macron and his wife, Brigitte, amid heavy pomp as almost 500 service members from all five branches of the military stood at attention for a “Review of the Troops.”

Vice President Mike Pence, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Chief of Staff John Kelly were among those in attendance to shake hands with the two leaders and their spouses.

Trump and Macron both sent their condolences to the families of the victims of the deadly van attack Monday in Toronto, as well as to the Bush family after the death of former First Lady Barbara Bush.
Former President George H.W. Bush has since been hospitalized with a blood infection.

Speaking in French, Macron said he wished to “express our deepest sympathy to President Bush and his family,” adding that at this time, “We stand together.”

In his remarks, Trump hailed France for its role in helping to respond to a chemical attack on civilians in the Damascus enclave of Douma in Syria.

“Along with our British friends, the United States and France recently took decisive action in response to the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons,” Trump said.

The two leaders are meeting on a number of issues, including the future of the Iran nuclear deal and the crisis in Syria.

On Tuesday evening, Macron will be honored with Trump’s first state dinner, where about 150 guests will dine on rack of lamb and nectarine tart before enjoying a performance by the Washington National Opera

Note EU-Digest: Even though the US President tried to be on his best behavior during the Macron welcoming ceremony, he was not able to contain himself to show his "macho side",  when, while speaking about his good relationship with Macron he leaned over to him and brushed away some imaginary dandruff, and said: I like him a lot, so much so, that I even brushed off the dandruff he had on his jacket.

As Herbert Read, a famous British art historian, poet, literary critic and philosopher wrote: "The worth of a civilization or a culture is not valued in the terms of its material wealth or military power, but by the quality and achievements of its representative individuals - its philosophers, its poets and its artists. Unfortunately the President of the US, Donald Trump possesses none of these qualities. 

EU-Digest

USA: Trump Tariffs: Trump’s China Trade War Has Deeper Agenda - by F. William Engdahl

Washington’s recent trade actions are aimed foursquare at China, not at the EU or other trade partners. However, the aim is not to reduce China exports to the US. The aim is a fundamental opening up of the Chinese economy to the Washington free market liberal reforms that China has steadfastly resisted. In a sense, it is a new version of the Anglo-American Opium Wars of the 1840s using other means to open China. China’s vision of its economic sovereignty is at direct odds with that of Washington. Because of this Xi Jinping is not about to cave in and Trump’s latest threats of escalation risk a major destabilization of the precarious global financial system.

There exist basically two contradictory visions of the Chinese future economy and this is what the Washington attacks are about. One is to force China to open its economy on terms dictated by the West, especially by US multinationals. The second vision is one put in place during the first term of Xi Jinping aiming to transform China’s huge economy into the world’s leading technology nation over the coming seven years, a tall order but one Beijing takes deadly serious. It is also integral to the vision behind Xi Jinping’s Belt Road Initiative.

Washington is determined to push China to adhere to a document it produced in 2013 together with the World Bank during the time Robert Zoellick headed it. The document, China 2030, calls for China to complete radical market reforms. It states,

“It is imperative that China … develop a market-based system with sound foundations…while a vigorous private sector plays the more important role of driving growth.”

The report, cosigned then by the Chinese Finance Ministry and State Council, further declared that

“China’s strategy toward the world will need to be governed by a few key principles: open markets, fairness and equity, mutually beneficial cooperation, global inclusiveness and sustainable development.”

Referring to the current Washington strategy of imposing import tariffs on billions worth of Chinese products, Michael Pillsbury, a neo-conservative former Trump Transition adviser and China expert told the South China Morning Post,

“The endgame is that China complete its deep reforms of its economy as laid out in the joint report,” referring to the World Bank Zoellick China 2030 report.

 Read more: Trump’s China Trade War Has Deeper Agenda | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

NAFTA negotiators encounter early sticking points on visas, supply management and other issues

Negotiators have run into a series of early sticking points on nearly every major element considered key to achieving a new NAFTA agreement, The Canadian Press has learned.

A recurring pattern involves one country raising a prized priority only to have other parties systematically refuse to engage the conversation, said one source with knowledge of how the talks are unfolding in Mexico City.

"The tone is negative," said the source, who made sure to add that it's still early, he remains hopeful a deal can be reached this year, and that obstinacy is to be expected in initial bargaining.

He cited two examples.

One is the Canadians asking for greater access to professional visas. It's a priority not just for the Canadians, but also for businesses that struggle to send staff across the border. NAFTA's visa list is outdated and doesn't include modern digital jobs. The Americans have pushed off that conversation, which risks bumping into that country's sensitive immigration politics.

Canada has returned the favour. The second example cited by the source involves Canada's supply-management system. The U.S. has started to raise it as an issue. While the U.S. has not yet tabled a formal request, with numbers, it has declared its interest in loosening Canada's import controls on dairy and poultry.

Read more: NAFTA negotiators encounter early sticking points on visas, supply management and other issues - Business - CBC News

Britain: Brexit In Reverse? - by George Soros

Economic reality is beginning to catch up with the false hopes of many Britons. One year ago, when a slim majority voted for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, they believed the promises of the popular press, and of the politicians who backed the Leave campaign, that Brexit would not reduce their living standards. Indeed, in the year since, they have managed to maintain those standards by running up household debt.

This worked for a while, because the increase in household consumption stimulated the economy. But the moment of truth for the UK economy is fast approaching. As the latest figures published by the Bank of England show, wage growth in Britain is not keeping up with inflation, so real incomes have begun to fall.

As this trend continues in the coming months, households will soon realize that their living standards are falling, and they will have to adjust their spending habits. To make matters worse, they will also realize that they have become over-indebted and will have to deleverage, thus further reducing the household consumption that has sustained the economy.

Moreover, the BoE has made the same mistake as the average household: it underestimated the impact of inflation and will now be catching up by raising interest rates in a pro-cyclical manner. These higher rates will make household debt even harder to pay off.

The British are fast approaching the tipping point that characterizes all unsustainable economic trends. I refer to such a tipping point as “reflexivity” – when both cause and effect shape each other.

Economic reality is reinforced by political reality. The fact is that Brexit is a lose-lose proposition, harmful both to Britain and the EU. The Brexit referendum cannot be undone, but people can change their minds.

The primary cause of May’s defeat was her fatal misstep in proposing that elderly people pay for a substantial portion of their social care out of their own resources, usually the value of the homes that they have lived in all of their lives. This “dementia tax,” as it became widely known, deeply offended the core constituency, the elderly, of May’s Conservative Party. Many either did not vote, or supported other parties.

By approaching the negotiations that which started on June 19 in a conciliatory spirit, May could reach an understanding with the EU on the agenda and agree to continue as a member of the single market for a period long enough to carry out all the legal work that will be needed. This would be a great relief to the EU, because it would postpone the evil day when Britain’s absence would create an enormous hole in the EU’s budget. That would be a win-win arrangement.

If May embraces such a platform, she could then carry on leading a minority government, because nobody else would want to take her place. Brexit would still take at least five years to complete, during which time new elections would take place. If all went well, the two parties might want to remarry even before they have divorced. 

Read  more: Brexit In Reverse? by George Soros - Project Syndicate

Brexit: "the prodigal son" - EU tells UK its door still 'open'

France and Germany have said the UK could still stay in the EU, as Britain confirmed that Brexit talks would start on Monday (19 June).

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, made the comment after meeting British prime minister Theresa May in Paris on Tuesday.

Of course, the [EU] door remains open, always open, until the Brexit negotiations come to an end”, he said.

The German finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, told the Bloomberg news agency in Berlin the same day that “if they [the British government] wanted to change their decision, of course, they would find open doors”.

Macron and Schaeuble said they “respect” Britain’s decision to leave.

The French leader said: “I would like the negotiation and then the discussions on the future relationship with the United Kingdom to be launched as soon as possible.”

But he added: “Let us be clear … once negotiations have started we should be well aware that it will be more and more difficult to move backwards.”

Schaeuble added that Germany did not want to punish the UK for leaving. “We will minimise the potential damage and maximise the mutual benefit [of Brexit]”, he said.

May’s Brexit manifesto said Britain would quit the single market and impose curbs on EU freedom of movement.

But she said on Tuesday June 13 “we want to maintain a close relationship and a close partnership with the EU and individual member states into the future”.

Read more: EU tells UK its door still 'open'

EU: MEPs welcome unity on Brexit and call for reform of the EU

MEPs welcomed the unity of the 27 Member States and the EU institutions with regard to Brexit and also called for a reform of the EU to benefit all its citizens.

The President of the European Council Donald Tusk presented to MEPs the Guidelines for Brexit negotiations agreed by the Member States at the summit on 29 April. He welcomed the alignment with the ‘red lines’ set by the European Parliament. The detailed negotiating mandate will be presented for adoption at a  Council meeting on 22nd May, pointed out the President of the Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.

In line with negotiator Michel Barnier, most MEPs emphasised the unity between the EU institutions and the 27 Member States, who are determined to act together to reach a balanced agreement with the United Kingdom.

The debated focused on the basis for future negotiations, as recalled by Michel Barnier:

• no negotiations on the future relationship between the EU and the United Kingdom can take place before “tangible progress” on the exit agreement is made,
• guaranteeing the rights of European citizens affected by the UK’s decision to leave the EU,
• the Northern Ireland peace process must be upheld (including the absence of physical border between Ireland and Northern Ireland),
• the United Kingdom must respect all the financial commitments made as a Member State.
   
  

  MEPs underlined the importance of unity and trust so that, in parallel to negotiations being carried out for an ‘orderly withdrawal’ of the UK, the reform of the Union can take place to rapidly respond to citizens’ concerns and make the benefits of European integration much more visible. 

  Read more: MEPs welcome unity on Brexit and call for reform of the EU | News | European Parliament

EU: From Great Britain to Little England?- by Michael O’Sullivan and David Skilling

British Prime Minister Theresa May blinked more than once as she prepared to invoke Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon and initiate Britain’s exit from the European Union. According to May, Brexit will transform the United Kingdom into what she calls “Global Britain.” But what lies ahead is really anyone’s guess. The UK has long been shorn of its empire; now it will be shorn of Europe, too.

Singapore, Switzerland, and Norway are often mentioned as models for the UK to follow as it pursues its own trade policies outside of the EU. This is ironic (or perhaps fitting), given that all three are small countries that do not share Great Britain’s sense of self-importance in world affairs.

The experience of small states is instructive for the UK. From the view of New Zealand or Singapore, it is fanciful to think that concluding new free-trade agreements with large emerging markets such as China and India will come easily for the UK. The gestation period for FTAs is long even under favorable conditions; and today a protectionist cloud hangs over the United States and potentially other countries. Signing a new FTA with the “America First” Trump administration will not be the cakewalk that UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and others have promised.

It is telling that the same small economies that know the most about global engagement are consistently pessimistic about Brexit. Economic policymakers from the Nordics and the Netherlands to New Zealand and Singapore understand that regional integration matters, and that Brexit will have large negative effects.

In the coming months, the world’s small, open economies will function as canaries in the coal mine for the global trade system. Small countries on the periphery of the EU, such as Norway and Switzerland, have learned that benefiting from EU integration requires limiting the scope for independent domestic policymaking. Given these countries’ experience, the Brexiteers should rein in their expectations for how much control they can realistically “take back.”

May’s government has made various announcements indicating the types of post-Brexit policy changes it will pursue. Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, for example, has talked about a low-tax, light-regulation model. But this model’s success in city-state settings such as Singapore, Hong Kong, or Dubai is no guarantee that it will work for a G20 economy. Meanwhile, May has suggested that the UK will, once again, embrace industrial policy, though it remains unclear what she means by this.

Read more: From Great Britain to Little England?

EU-US Privacy Pact: If Trump Spoils Privacy Pact, We'll Pull It, EU Official Warns - by Stephanie Bodoni

Vera Jourova spent months working with the Obama administration on a deal to protect Europeans from digital surveillance by U.S. spies. With a new occupant now in the White House, the EU’s privacy czar says she’s prepared to rip up the pact if the Americans don’t adhere to its terms.

“If there is a significant change, we will suspend” the accord, Jourova, the European Union’s justice commissioner, said in a Bloomberg interview. “I will not hesitate to do it. There’s too much at stake.”

The pact, clinched last year, was meant to keep data flowing across the Atlantic while ensuring that Europeans enjoyed safeguards from the snooping by American security services. The Privacy Shield plugged holes that led EU judges to overturn a previous accord dating back to 2000, and was greeted with relief by U.S. companies that process personal data from billing details to messaging platforms.

At the end of March -- the exact date still has to be finalized -- the former Czech regional development minister will travel to Washington to meet with the administration of new U.S. President Donald Trump on the privacy shield. Jourova said she’s hopeful she won’t have to suspend the pact, but conceded that Trump’s unpredictability has raised concern among European regulators.

“Unpredictability is a problem if you need to trust something,” Jourova said, adding that she remains “vigilant” about the government’s stance. The EU “expects continuity” and “I will want reconfirmation and reassurances when I will go to Washington.”

In a sign of rising concern, the commission on Feb. 7 sought clarification from the U.S. that EU citizens wouldn’t be affected by a Jan. 25 executive order by Trump on Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the U.S.

One section in the presidential order said that U.S. “agencies shall, to the extent consistent with applicable law, ensure that their privacy policies exclude persons who are not United States citizens” from the U.S. Privacy Act “regarding personally identifiable information.”

In a letter to Jourova’s office dated Feb. 22, the Department of Justice assured the EU of the U.S.’s continued commitment to the Privacy Shield.

The letter was written by Bruce Swartz, deputy assistant attorney general, who told Jourova that the U.S. government “looks forward to working closely with the commission in the weeks and months ahead to protect the privacy and security” of U.S. and EU citizens.

Wilbur Ross, the new Secretary of Commerce, offered some words of encouragement when he addressed Department of Commerce staff March 1, saying that “we must build on the hard work that many of you have done in supporting Privacy Shield.”

Tim Truman, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, declined to immediately comment other than to highlight Ross’s statements. The Department of Justice didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Still, “the disruptive political style of the new U.S. administration fills anyone working in the field of privacy with concern,” said Johannes Caspar, one of Germany’s most outspoken data protection commissioners.

“You don’t need to gaze into a crystal ball to see that the air surrounding the Privacy Shield is becoming thinner,” said Caspar, who is the Hamburg privacy regulator.

What the last few weeks have shown is that “everything is possible now,” according to Jan Philipp Albrecht, the European Parliament’s chief negotiator on stricter EU privacy rules. The bloc’s new data protection rules will from May 2018 give European data watchdogs the power to fine companies as much as 4 percent of their global annual sales for violations.

“There are some really dangerous announcements around that would endanger cooperation, but which would also put at risk the possibilities for business to operate as normal,” said Albrecht. “As soon as it’s clear that any orders will change the legal protections for Europeans in the U.S. system, the already widely criticized Privacy Shield, from a European perspective, cannot be upheld. It’s a very fragile thing,” he said.

“Unpredictability is a problem if you need to trust something,” Jourova said, adding that she remains “vigilant” about the government’s stance. The EU “expects continuity” and “I will want reconfirmation and reassurances when I will go to Washington.”

In a sign of rising concern, the commission on Feb. 7 sought clarification from the U.S. that EU citizens wouldn’t be affected by a Jan. 25 executive order by Trump on Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the U.S.

One section in the presidential order said that U.S. “agencies shall, to the extent consistent with applicable law, ensure that their privacy policies exclude persons who are not United States citizens” from the U.S. Privacy Act “regarding personally identifiable information.”

Still, “the disruptive political style of the new U.S. administration fills anyone working in the field of privacy with concern,” said Johannes Caspar, one of Germany’s most outspoken data protection commissioners.

“You don’t need to gaze into a crystal ball to see that the air surrounding the Privacy Shield is becoming thinner,” said Caspar, who is the Hamburg privacy regulator.

What the last few weeks have shown is that “everything is possible now,” according to Jan Philipp Albrecht, the European Parliament’s chief negotiator on stricter EU privacy rules. The bloc’s new data protection rules will from May 2018 give European data watchdogs the power to fine companies as much as 4 percent of their global annual sales for violations.

“There are some really dangerous announcements around that would endanger cooperation, but which would also put at risk the possibilities for business to operate as normal,” said Albrecht. “As soon as it’s clear that any orders will change the legal protections for Europeans in the U.S. system, the already widely criticized Privacy Shield, from a European perspective, cannot be upheld. It’s a very fragile thing,” he said.

The EU-U.S. Privacy Shield was enacted in July, months after both sides were forced back to the drawing board when the bloc’s top court annulled a “safe-harbor” accord dating back to 2000 for failing to offer sufficient safeguards. The new deal seeks to address concerns that American spies had unfettered access to European citizens’ private data.

One upcoming test of whether the U.S. has stuck to its commitments will be an annual joint review with the U.S. Department of Commerce.

While Jourova raised the possibility of pulling the deal, she first pledged to “engage in dialog” if there are signs that “somebody isn’t doing what he is committed to do.”

Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, France’s data privacy regulator, said she was hopeful that President Trump’s background in commerce would mean he will be keen to preserve the pact.

“U.S. economic interests behind the shield are considerable too, so I think that Mr Trump, who is a businessman after all, isn’t completely oblivious to what’s at risk,” said Falque-Pierrotin, who’s also the head of the group of EU privacy watchdogs.

If the shield is abandoned, companies that transfer data as part of their day-to-day business would be thrown back into the legal limbo they were in before the deal, forcing them to revert to other, less straightforward data transfer tools.

“I don’t think it’s the aim of anyone in the EU, whether in the European Commission, in the Parliament or in the member states, to cause disruption to companies,” said Albrecht. “But there are certain actions, if Trump or his administration take them, that will leave the EU with no alternative than to take clear actions.”

Read more: If Trump Spoils Privacy Pact, We'll Pull It, EU Official Warns - Bloomberg

Overpaying for insurance: Here's how to save money - by Jean Chatzky

Most people could save hundreds of dollars a year on their auto insurance, according to a recent survey. In this installment of TODAY'sFree Money series, we'll offer some tips that may help you trim what you pay not just for auto insurance — but for homeowners, life and health also.

Insurance is a complex product — and people find shopping around for it frustrating, so they don't.

According to the J.D. Power And Associates 2013 Insurance Shopping Study, the percentage of consumers shopping around for a better deal on auto insurance is at a six-year low. Strangely, this is happening at the same time that the Internet has made it easier to shop for coverage and to
find discounts.

With that in mind, here are some ways you may be able to cut your insurance costs by tweaking your coverage. Ckick on the link below to see how.

Read more: Overpaying for insurance: Here's how to save money - TODAY.com