Hard Brexit or Hard Brexit

[Rum]

Holland is fine, as far as it goes (not far, obviously). It's just the Dutchians haven't really done anything since the 17th Century except eat tulips and always win at speed skating.

Anyone can be brilliant at being lazy if they don't try hard enough.

You forgot their hard-won expertise at sticking their fingers into dykes...

Dutch fingers are far and away the most satisfying.

..though they do smell of fish...I find.

[Scot Dutchy]

Looking good and I dont think. The guy that was going to give the UK the best trade deal is slapping tariffs on British Steel.
He is about as trustworthy as May.

Trump threatens UK's steel industry with punitive tariffs

The UK can hide behind the EU for now but will soon have to learn some hard lessons about life outside the bloc

The UK's embattled steel industry is going to get hit twice through the planned imposition of swinging 25 per cent import tariffs by the US.

There will be the damage caused to the industry's sales to America - the UK sends £360m worth of high value steel product across the Atlantic. That's 15 per cent of the industry's total exports that will be made uncompetitive.

The domestic market, and other export markets, will also likely take a hit through the fall out from competing countries diverting their produce.

[Rum]

I know how much you hate Britain - you make that obvious whenever you get the chance - but the headline, as so many, only tells a portion of the facts, which are that these tariffs apply to the EU as well as the UK - and as far as one can tell anyone trying to import steel and aluminium to the USA. A trade war could well erupt out of this which will do nobody any good.

[Scot Dutchy]

I know how much you hate Britain - you make that obvious whenever you get the chance - but the headline, as so many, only tells a portion of the facts, which are that these tariffs apply to the EU as well as the UK - and as far as one can tell anyone trying to import steel and aluminium to the USA. A trade war could well erupt out of this which will do nobody any good.

The EU has a huge surplus with the USA. The UK does not. Once out in the cold life is going to get tough.

[Rum]

I know how much you hate Britain - you make that obvious whenever you get the chance - but the headline, as so many, only tells a portion of the facts, which are that these tariffs apply to the EU as well as the UK - and as far as one can tell anyone trying to import steel and aluminium to the USA. A trade war could well erupt out of this which will do nobody any good.

The EU has a huge surplus with the USA. The UK does not. Once out in the cold life is going to get tough.

Nah - there you go shifting the goal posts again when you get your facts wrong or distort them to support your hatred of the British. Here are the facts. The majority of steel the UK exports to the USA are high tech finished specialist products. The UK has alternated between being a net importer and net exporter of steel for the last decade. The following countries make up the bulk of importers to the USA.

1. Canada 16.7 percent

2. Brazil 13.2 percent

3. South Korea 9.7 percent

4. Mexico 9.4 percent

5. Russia 8.1 percent

6. Turkey 5.6 percent

7. Japan 4.9 percent

8. Germany 3.7 percent

9. Taiwan 3.2 percent

10. China 2.9 percent

11. India 2.4 percent

Source: Wood Mackenzie

[Scot Dutchy]

So? Tariffs are not going to hit the UK? We can absorb them and hit back. Do you think the UK will be able to?

[Rum]

What do you mean 'so'? You specifically focused on the UK. Germany has a lot more to lose.

You could just as equally argue that being small and agile the UK will be in a position to negotiate more creatively and in a nuanced way.

Let's face it you just love to throw shit at the country you love to hate.

[Brian Peacock]

Today Mrs May gave the umpteenth version of her party's 'clear and coherent vision' on Brexit Britain - the latest of her own speeches on the matter, to go with the recent speeches from Bulldog Davis, Blowhard Johnson, and The Impaler Duncan-Smith. These Brexit 'clarification' speeches from the UK right are increasing in frequency and broadening in divergence. Where's the 'clarity' in that?

EU leaders are not even pretending that they're anything other than intensely 'Meh...' about all this now - their responses can best be described as regional variations on, 'Just get on with it already!'

[pErvinalia]

So? Tariffs are not going to hit the UK? We can absorb them and hit back. Do you think the UK will be able to?

There's absolutely no difference whether the UK was in the EU or not. The same proportions apply.

[Scot Dutchy]

So? Tariffs are not going to hit the UK? We can absorb them and hit back. Do you think the UK will be able to?

There's absolutely no difference whether the UK was in the EU or not. The same proportions apply.

Being part of the second largest economic bloc in the world does not make any difference? I think you will find that it does.

[Rum]

So? Tariffs are not going to hit the UK? We can absorb them and hit back. Do you think the UK will be able to?

There's absolutely no difference whether the UK was in the EU or not. The same proportions apply.

Being part of the second largest economic bloc in the world does not make any difference? I think you will find that it does.

That's told ya pEv!

[Scot Dutchy]

[pErvinalia]

So? Tariffs are not going to hit the UK? We can absorb them and hit back. Do you think the UK will be able to?

There's absolutely no difference whether the UK was in the EU or not. The same proportions apply.

Being part of the second largest economic bloc in the world does not make any difference? I think you will find that it does.

The tariffs will apply evenly to both, if Donald is to be believed. So the UK will suffer the same effect whether it is in the EU or not.

[Scot Dutchy]

So? Tariffs are not going to hit the UK? We can absorb them and hit back. Do you think the UK will be able to?

There's absolutely no difference whether the UK was in the EU or not. The same proportions apply.

Being part of the second largest economic bloc in the world does not make any difference? I think you will find that it does.

The tariffs will apply evenly to both, if Donald is to be believed. So the UK will suffer the same effect whether it is in the EU or not.

It wont have the economic clout to fight back. This is also what Trump has totally underestimated. These tariffs will hurt the USA far more than the EU. Little England out on its own wont stand a chance.

[pErvinalia]

He hasn't underestimated it. He would be fully informed of a tariff war. He's doing it on principle. It's the core concern (other than hate and racism) of his voters. Whether he gets it through is another matter. I don't know how this works in regard to the different branches of government, but assuming Congress has any say on the matter, I wouldn't expect this to get passed.