 |
| IRELAND |
 |
| HUNGARY |
“We ran out,” a newspaper saleswoman in central Budapest
said. Magyar Hang, offshoot of now-defunct daily Magyar Nemzet, seems to be
getting popular. #Hungary
[https://twitter.com/liliebayer/status/997778263429828608?utm_source=POLITICO.EU&utm_campaign=f3892c4dc9-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_05_22&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_10959edeb5-f3892c4dc9-190270117 2:57 AM - 19 May 2018]
 |
| GREECE |
 |
| GERMANY |
GERMAN 'TTIP LITE' PLAN GETS ITS WAY — FOR NOW: Name calling aside,
Germany won the day at the EU leaders summit on Thursday by securing the
support of the other 27 EU leaders to offer the U.S. the prospect of a reduced
trade deal in exchange for a permanent exemption from steel and aluminum
tariffs.
"We have made clear that A, we want an unconditional
exemption from those tariffs, and B, that we are ready to discuss" four
trade points with the U.S., among them "reciprocal market access for industry
goods and public procurement," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told
reporters. The other three points were voluntary regulatory cooperation, a
potential increase of imports of American liquefied natural gas, and joint
reform of the WTO, particularly with respect to resolving the blockage of the
appellate body appointments.
A fragile unity: Even with a TTIP-lite, it's still highly questionable whether
the EU will get an unconditional tariff reprieve from the Trump administration,
which has repeatedly said that
countries spared from the tariffs will still face a quota. An official in
Berlin told our POLITICO Pro colleagues in Europe that the EU should consider
negotiating a trade deal with the U.S. even if Trump opts for a quota, or,
worse, imposes the steel and aluminum tariffs on EU exporters as of June 1.
According to the official, the offer of a trade deal could then still be used
as a bargaining chip to mutually reduce tariffs via negotiation instead of
risking even higher duties through a tit-for-tat escalation.
Officials from France and other countries rejected trade talks
under that scenario, with one diplomat openly warning that such an approach
would convince Trump that his bullying tactics work. "A quota is not an
unlimited exemption — so in such a case we would need to have a new political
discussion on what to do next," another European diplomat said.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said Thursday
that the EU "will not negotiate with the Sword of Damocles hanging over
our heads." He added: "I have to be very clear, and I'm repeating
myself by saying it: We want an unlimited exemption from the proposed tariff
measures." [POLITICO's Morning Trade, May
18, 2018]
 |
| EUROPE |
FRANCE AND
GERMANY STILL PLAN TO HAVE A PLAN TO REFORM THE EUROZONE, I’m told by a senior French official who hails
some “good, substantive talks” that took place last week. Granted, the EU
summit at the end of June won’t come up with anything close to the
comprehensive reform Macron started pushing for as soon as he came into office
last year. But, the official said, “it may be more than you expect.” To the
question of whether the Italian scare changed the nature of the conversation by
making Germany more reluctant to engage, the official replied that “the Italian
situation is also a good argument why we should reform without waiting for
another Big One.” (By which I think he meant crisis.) [POLITICO Brussels
Playbook, May 21, 2018]
 |
| ST KITTS |
 |
| PUERTO RICO |
 |
| TRINIDAD & TOBAGO |
 |
| BARBADOS |
 |
| GUYANA |
 |
| URUGUAY |
 |
| ECUADOR |
 |
| NIGERIA |
 |
| SOUTH AFRICA |
 |
| PALESTINE |
 |
| ISRAEL |
 |
| TURKEY |
 |
| PHILIPPINES |
 |
| CHINA |
 |
| READ |
NOTE: The news sources here vary. Not all sources have the same credibility, but in an effort to share some different perspectives, they are included here. This compendium itself cannot claim to be unbiased. Please take into consideration where these different perspectives originate in assessing their value. Thank you
NOTE: I have no official connection to any organization from which information is shared.. Occasionally, I post informational material and/or an opportunity to donate or join as a "community service" announcement. These again are shared for their varying perspectives.
Any commercial or business interest information shared is purely informational, not an endorsement. I have no connection with any such commercial or business interest.
Any books listed are random or topic-related to something else in the post. Think of these as a "library bookshelf" to browse. They are shared for informational or entertainment value only, not as being recommended.
Comments
Post a Comment