Argentina accepts consultation with EU on trade restrictions and also drags Falklands’ to the dispute
Argentina announced on Monday it had accepted the request from the European Union for a round of consultations, before the World Trade Organization, on the country’s controversial trade policies, but at the same time rejected all and every one of the questioned points and dragged the Falklands’ dispute into the fray.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry declares that Argentina will continue to claim concrete solution for the access restrictions Argentine farmers’ face in the developed countries.
“These restrictions include long-established protectionist practices, such as distortive subsidies, quotas, tariff scaling and peaks plus new non-tariff restrictions such as sanitary, phyto sanitary and technical barriers allegedly justified in the protection of the environment and of animal welfare, among others”.
However in spite of Argentina’s willingness once again, to dialogue and to comply with the rules and procedures of international bodies of which it is part, “a state member from the European Union systematically ignores 39 resolutions from the United Nations”, which is a direct reference to the UN calls for Argentina and the UK to begin discussions on the Falklands issue.
Thus “Argentina calls on the EU to respect, always, the decisions from international organizations and not use them only as instruments of pressure”.
Furthermore the defence of Argentina involves not only the economic interests of the country but also those of the developing countries which make use of trade policy as a tool for national development.
The release argues that the European request represents an unfounded questioning of legitimate public policies of Argentina applied in conformity with WTO rules, adding that “such a position could be interpreted as a line of action which tries to squeeze the legitimate economic policies of emerging countries with the purpose of emptying in these dynamic markets the exportable surpluses of developed countries, currently in crisis and with contractive fiscal policies which limit the global aggregate demand”.
Thus Argentina rejects all and every one of the EU objections wants to discuss, and will continue to claim concrete solutions for the access restrictions that are applied by developed countries on Argentine trade and exports.
The EU made the request for a round of consultation in the framework of WTO disputes’ settlement system last 25 May and had ten days to reply to such a request.
EU claims Argentina is applying direct and indirect protectionist measures by limiting and delaying imports plus demanding a ‘trade balancing’ from companies involved in international commerce and operating in Argentina. Basically this means Argentina demands companies compensate every import dollar with and export dollar.
Suggested Stories
-
May 23rd 2013
Falkland Islands wish for normal neighborly relations with all South American neighbors
-
May 21st 2013
Falkland Islands: it’s a three-side debate; Argentina must recognize Islanders right to decide their future
-
May 20th 2013
Falkland Islands: Argentina blasts UK’s ‘double standard’ on self determination right
-
May 20th 2013
Polynesia in decolonization list; Pacific islands proposal supported by 193 votes in UN General Assembly
51 comments Feed
Note: Comments do not reflect MercoPress’ opinions. They are the personal view of our users. We wish to keep this as open and unregulated as possible. However, rude or foul language, discriminative comments (based on ethnicity, religion, gender, nationality, sexual orientation or the sort), spamming or any other offensive or inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated. Please report any inadequate posts to the editor. Comments must be in English. Thank you.
That opens the door for dialogue. When we sit down, we tell you to open your markets, and then we are done.
Bye bye Argentina. I just flushed something down the bog which reminds me of you.
Someone has to stand up to them, Chichureo. If Chile, Brazil, Mexico, or anyone in Africa or Asia won't then we will.
They have to be called for their unfair practices.
I think Timmerman has a point up until he brings the FIs in to the question.
But getting the French to budge on the CAP would be more difficult than getting Argentina to renounce the FIs.
He is clearly not looking for common ground.
What is the reluctance in Argentina to negotiate bilateral free trade agreements?
Argentina already has a favourable trade balance with the EU. I can only assume that it would widen if the barriers came down.
Since you imported already so many things, it was to your benefit to have those imports lower or 0 tariff and at the same time open the markets for your products.
Argentina has had high level agriculture, industry, and services for much longer (our economy developed in the 19th century when the rest of Latin America was dirt poor), and as such there are many vested interests trying to protect themselves from competition, fair and unfair (and the EU/USA have a lot of unfair practices).
Since we had industries to protect since the 1950s, then it is much harder to go for free trade, specially when there is nothing free about it as Europeans and Americans subsidize their producers to allow them to sell at low market prices to “compete” with us. Problem is we don't afford our industries such subsidies, our prices our lower because our wages are lower. They want to keep their high wages and still sell their products low, so they subsidize.
When Argentina takes measures to stop this (which are now way out of control admittedly under CFK), they get angry.
just like you cannot talk to a zombie,
you should know this .
This man is so indoctrinated, that he is totally blind and deaf to those around him,
Just like all Kirchnerites
You can't make this up!!!
www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8ef07ff0-ab2c-11e1-b875-00144feabdc0.html
“Holders of some UK index-linked gilts could see more than 40 per cent wiped off the value of their bonds, according to M&G Investments, as a result of technical changes to the way the retail price index, which underpins these “linkers”, is calculated.”
“The mooted changes are designed to eliminate “unjustified” causes of the persistent gap between inflation as measured by the RPI and the normally lower consumer price index, narrowing the “wedge” between the two measures by altering the way the RPI is calculated. Some industry figures believe the gap between the two measures could be eliminated entirely.”
NOW WHO DOES THIS REMIND ME OF????
There goes the anglo-saxon morality high-ground on debt which I have been subjected to for all this time. How can you say anything about Argentina now...
You better go out and protest before its too late... 238 billion pounds.
Fudging numbers, lowering bond returns... oh, and doctors going on strike with hospitals shutting for the first time in 40 years, and back in recession.
This is a disastruous development, how can you all now talk smack about Argentina's “policies”?
:o
No offence taken. I agree that Chile doesn’t export much that Europe can source internally.
But for Argentina, a country of 40m it must be to their advantage to have access to a market of 400m, even if the playing field is not even.
The EU and Argentina will “consult” and then disagree and then the EU will pursue a WTO ruling which mostly likely take 2 & 1/2 years to be finalized and then if the WTO ruling is favorable the EU countries can level sanctions against Argentina so there is plenty of time to work out a deal.
Argentina is most likely playing for time so I am guessing will go on until Argentina can get the trade surplus back to where they want it and or the energy imports bill is reduced
Would a free trade agreement widen or narrow Argentina's trade gap with the EU?
Good for Argentina, under the leadership of Cristina it is acting as a tribune of the opressed for the whole world =)
#3 Your mask just slipped, you don't like having democrats in charge do you? And interesting you say this on a thread about how they're standing up to the unfair practices of the rich world; the militarists and fascists may rage and scream about nationalism but in the end are puppets of foreign rule. God willing neither dictatorship nor US control is coming back =)
Many argentines have the mentality to play to not to lose, and not to win. As a result, in terms of free-trade we are just suspicious of everyone.
Partly with good cause, but partly one has to admit is perhaps the we judge everyone else... as the saying in Spanish says “por su condicion”. I don't think there is a suitable translation for the adage.
Countries like Chile, Peru, Colombia (coincidentally in the Pacific), really had nothing to lose since they imported much of their products including foodstuffs, so free trade is almost a win-win.
In Argentina were you have so many (corrupted) interest from the toy industry to the textile industry, from the shoe makers to steel, and of course the very powerful farming lobby, plus the fact we don't need to import any food, makes the question of free-trade far more gray. As a lot of people think they will lose out, and there is no clear cut benefit for what comes in (as again, we don't import food).
I doubt CFK is interested in the oppressed people of the world.
“The Germans hold the cards and they need the UK to play the winning hands.”
How is the UK going to play a winning hand if the Germans are holding the cards?
True, it may be less of a black and white issue for Argentina, than for Chile, but other countries around the world with advanced/diversified economies have managed to come to free-trade agreements with each other. Of course there are always trade disputes and politically sensitive (often protected) industries in all countries, but these disputes are usually put to one side to be resolved without escalation. Current Argie protectionism can’t be a good way of increasing Argie exports.
BTW, Peruvians are hugely suspicious of free-trade and foreign investment in their country. From what I have seen in Peru, they are so suspicious of outsiders, they even have disputes between the regions. It is a country with weak institutions, high level of corruptions and generally low level of education. Opening up the country up is potentially risky. I hope they can make it work.
One thing we can all learn from history is that we learn nothing from history!!!
That opens the door for dialogue. When we sit down, we tell you you're not having the Falkland Islands, and then we are done.
EU has ~ 15 -- 20 % of Argentian/Brazil exports.
Britain could do the same with UN Resolution 2065, to tick the UN box. Agree to discuss sovereignty. Then tell Argentina that no agreement other than the UK retaining full sovereignty of the FI can be agreed. Even take members of the FIG in too... They couldn't complain about it, as it says something similar in their constitution.
I understand that Argentina's illegal acts of aggression and subsequent unilateral acts are two of the reasons why the Falkland Islanders and the British government adopts its current negotiating posture, Great Britain's UN Charter obligations to the Falkland Islanders notwithstanding
I think Argentina needs to offer its hand in friendship and goodwill. Then, perhaps, once all peoples have forgiven one another for the past, they can become firm friends and resolve their differences amicably.
I hope so.
As much as I respect your view, I think it has gone much too far with Argentine agression for any sound minded Falklander to even consider believing anything the present Argentine government 'says'.
I think it is exactly because we are not at either extreme (our industry is not the most advanced or added-value, but we have major industries unlike many free trade countries that don't), that the country is paralyzed.
It is easy for countries with very competitive industries to be all for free trade (and still then, they subsidize).
It is easy for countries that depend on trade, imports, or are small financial centers to be for free trade (they already need to trade for much so what's there to lose).
It is difficult for countries whose industries could be wiped-out by indiscriminate imports, and who are self-sufficient in many areas (food, agriculture, minerals, until recently oil though we could be again, internal consumption), to see manifest advantages to free-trade.
I tend to be for free-trade, more isolationist in foreign relations. I just don't see given the current climate of subsidies that it would be fair for us to sign anything.
@2 And we tell you to get stuffed and we are done!
@5 Tell you what. We don't want your crap over here! Now, how is that unfair?
@8 The thing is that Europe, with thousands of years of experience, doesn't want substandard or ecologically unsafe goods shipped in from a place for which the word “truth” is only a word. I spent a considerable number of years on my country's border. With 26 exceptions (although not always) every other country has to comply with certain rules if it wants to ship goods to my country. We don't like manufactured goods that are substandard and dangerous. We don't like “grown” goods that are contaminated by unacceptable hormones, chemicals, bacteria, insects and the like.
@9 “Argentina has had high level agriculture, industry, and services”. Mostly built by the British. But check out the history. Every time you had “relatively” free trade, you prospered. Every time you went protectionist, your economy nosedived.
@16 Where are these “democrats”? Wogga wogga land (full of argies) doesn't have any in its government. It has plutocrats.
@17 What you mean is that you think everyone else is as crooked as you are.
@25 Keep it. We can get it elsewhere.
@28 Any claim for the Falkland Islands ended in 1850. If wogga wogga land (full of argies) offered its hand in friendship and goodwill, I'd count my fingers. Then I'd watch what their other hand was doing. Finally, I'd beat them over the head with an axe so that I could recover whatever they'd managed to thieve anyway!
Foreign Minister Timerman speaks of “a state member from the European Union systematically ignores 39 resolutions from the United Nations”
LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL!!!!!!!!!!
Mr Timerman, you are a joke!! Stop embarrassing yourself and all Argentinians everywhere. Might I ask how many resolutions from the United Nations Argentina has failed to comply with?? Could you please answer that one of us?
LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL!!!!!!!!!!
From this week any Argentinian who wants to take a foreign holiday must not only provide his tax identification number but also tell the tax agancy (AFIP) where and why he is going. Argentine officials say this is all necessary to fight tax evasion and money laundering. In reality the reason is that the government of CFK is starting to run out of dollars. Since the inflation rate is at 30% the government is terrified of letting the Peso depreciate and is resorting to a seige economy.
The Tin man will no doubt use the Falklands as an excuse.
Are the same ones that our deluded argie bloggers keep going on about,
Amazing then, that they mysteriously can name these 39 resolutions in detail.
.
@33 Let's keep our fingers crossed. How long will it be before wogga wogga land can't import or export anything?
@34 No, it's not amazing. Various wogga wogga land “ministries” keep lists of these resolutions with explanations of how they “support” wogga wogga land's claims. These are distributed on a regular basis to “organisations” such as La Campora. It has to be done on a regular basis because the thickos can't actually read. There are regular seminars to show them how to “copy and paste”. But they forget and wipe their backsides with the stuff. Then they wipe the sweat of their faces with the same stuff. Dual-purpose, you see. They get a “tan” at the same time!
Argentina: According to our constitution Islas Falkllands are ours.
UK: According to history they are not.
FIG: According to UN rules on de-colonialisation they're ours.
End of meeting.
36 Pete Bog
agreed
Wave your finger around as much as you like.
No-one is taking any notice of you & you are only poking holes in the air.
@36 Pete Bog,
l'd love to be at that meeting.
LOL
@31. I agree. Obviously this much change for the better!
@36: Agreed, but perhaps such a meeting needs to take place via the UN ICJ?
The UN enforces UN resolutions, not the EU. The EU has no power in this regard. Besides the realpolitik is that Britain, behind Germany, France run the EU and are all major net contributors along with the Italy and the Netherlands. Yet Great Britain also helps underpin the Euro bail-out and has the joint most powerful military in the EU and is essential for the proper functioning of NATO. Politically, it is not in the interest of the major EU states to permanently damage their relations with Great Britain on the non-issue of the Falkland Islands, hence their inclusion as a British Overseas Territory in the Lisbon Treaty. That was realpolitik in action.
And why not? Or at least a future one. Surely in a small community like the Falklands a committed, articulate person like you could do well if you stood for election; the ratio of representatives to people must be quite high as new “Falklands lawmakers” keep popping up here all the time in guest posts. So how about it, you might even get to meet Cristina (now that WOULD be interesting...)
No, just whip a brown paper bag over her head: better still, make it a plastic one and seal it with sellotape -that would solve everybody's problem. :o)
She wouldn't like me there, as l would make it plain straight up that there is NOTHING to “negotiate”.
l could pass on your love letters for you, though!
It would be most embarrassing for one of you,
After seeing the real thing,
CFK would understand just how cheap plastic is ,
There is no alternative to the real beautiful things in life,
And her expensive plastic could never complete with you.
[ the real thing ]
.
You've touched my heart & made my day.♥
Living up to your tag still, I see.
“in a way all of Canada could be said to quietly supports Argentina's stand.”
Just like they did at the OAS!
They told The Mad Bitch of Argentina and the rest of her deluded followers to (diplomatically) fcuk off.
Well done Canada.
www.facebook.com/Britain1592
Canada supports free trade and has been getting free trade agreements in many countries.
Many Canadians complain about high liquor and cigarette taxes - its why many Canadians brew their own, buy cigs at duty-free Indian reservation shops, or smuggle hundreds of tons of US cigs into Canada.
Certainly, there probably are in Canada some types who slavishly support CFK, Castro, Iran, Hugo Chávez, and are nostalgic for the Soviet Union. A few of these types in most of our Western countries, eh?
Very proud that Canada took a stand at both OAS Summit in Cartagena and OAS General Assembly in Cochabamba and said no to to anti-Falklands sentiment of Latin America.
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!