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Argentina accuses EU before WTO for restriction imposed on bio-fuel imports
Argentina has taken the first steps toward formally accusing the European Union of violating World Trade Organization rules in a dispute over restrictions on bio-fuels exports to the EU from the Mercosur member country. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesYou could not make this up !
Aug 20th, 2012 - 07:01 am - Link - Report abuse 0Argentina can impose import restrictions but no one else can.
Argentina steals a Spanish company and the moans when Spain stops buying from them.
Argentina is selling less bio-fuel so it increases the cost
It's just Argentina being Argentina, more empty words and lies.
Aug 20th, 2012 - 07:16 am - Link - Report abuse 0Nothing ever changes.
Good for Argentina, the EU preaches free trade to the poor but practices protectionism for rich farmers, I'm glad Cristina has called out their despicable behaviour with her usual courage
Aug 20th, 2012 - 09:11 am - Link - Report abuse 03 BK. Will you please stop talking crap :p this is tit-for-tat, Argentina stole a company & has put up a load of trade barriers. The EU has the right to do the same.
Aug 20th, 2012 - 09:25 am - Link - Report abuse 0Why on earth do you even like the retarded woman anyway? (is it because she spouts lefty carp all the time, even tho Peronism isn't a left-wing ideology).
Well in a free market world, each country has the right to buy its products from whoever it wishes.
Aug 20th, 2012 - 10:02 am - Link - Report abuse 0And since CFK is putting up export taxes on bio-fuels why should any country in the world pay more for something that they can get cheaper elsewhere?
But as always Argentina trys to play the victim card. The problem is that they've played it so often now that it's becoming a bit like the boy who cried wolf. No one believes them anymore.
The limits to this women's stupidity are now definitely limitless. Does she actually think the WTO is going to tell Spain where they must purchase bio-fuels from, especially now since she increased the costs?
Aug 20th, 2012 - 10:38 am - Link - Report abuse 0The exports should start dropping further as she increases the costs. Also, USA is changing over to sorghum bio-fuels, which will further reduce RGs exports.
*unintentional irony*
Aug 20th, 2012 - 11:12 am - Link - Report abuse 04
Aug 20th, 2012 - 11:16 am - Link - Report abuse 0Eu have been practising protectionism on agricultural products since... bloody ever, and long before Argentina imposed their own restrictions.
You mean the EU protected their trade because of them knowing that Argentina would do the same in the future?
@8 - Guzz
Aug 20th, 2012 - 11:48 am - Link - Report abuse 0Even if its true, so what? A free market economy allows countries to decide who they want to buy their products from.
CFK's wonderful economic model is pricing Argentina out of the market. Why buy their more expensive fuel when you can get it cheaper from Uruguay? Or Brazil? Or China? Or India? Or Germany? Or the UK? Or the USA? Or another dozen or more countries?
You see the rest of the world will do what's right for them, and by right, I mean that which will cost them less in the long run.
But good news for Uruguay, their exports should go up!
You are Uruguayan today aren't you Guzz? Or are you Swedish? Or Norwegian? Or Argentinian?
It must be difficult to be loyal to all those different countries that you supposedly have as your nationality.
Oh but then you're not loyal to any of them, except Argentina, are you?
LEP
Aug 20th, 2012 - 11:54 am - Link - Report abuse 0“Even if its true, so what? A free market economy allows countries to decide who they want to buy their products from.”
I agree, and if you too agree with your own words, bloody shut up about Arg protectionism, they have the same right to protect their goods as you lot have.
My nationalities are Uruguayan and Swedish. It's not that many, actually, if you count them one by one, it's.... two.
8 Guzz (#)
Aug 20th, 2012 - 12:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Aug 20th, 2012 - 11:16 am
Guzz.
EU countries decide who they will and will not buy from, Mercosur countries decide who they will and will not buy from. No great shakes really but you and your government seem to think otherwise. It looks to us like you think it is okay for you to pick and choose but we must do your bidding as and when you see fit.
You know how South America rejects 'colonialism'? The EU does too including this new Argentinian brand of economic colonialism. So you and your government can stick it and spin on it at the WTO.
You okay with that?
@8 Thing is that argieland used to benefit from preferential duty rates. Now that it's proved that it's untrustworthy, steals at any and every opportunity and pays attention to international law only when it suits, others are taking notice. Besides, it has an ever-improving economy. doesn't it? Doesn't argieland like being picked on by everyone? That's what it says happens, doesn't it? Looks like it's REALLY beginning to happen. Perhaps other LatAm countries should pay attention. LatAm ISN'T where the money is. In the great scheme of things, LatAm is PEANUTS. Perhaps you should try understanding your true worth!
Aug 20th, 2012 - 12:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 011
Aug 20th, 2012 - 12:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You lot started with the protectionism, and now you accuse CFK of protectionism. Who is the one picking and choosing here?
#13 If you think that deciding where a country buys and imports a product from is the same as using import quotas, creating exception import tariffs, restricting all imports, and increasing restrictive regulations on imports are the same, you do not understand the definition of protectionism.
Aug 20th, 2012 - 12:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 014
Aug 20th, 2012 - 12:20 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I don't know what you call it, but the EU imposes taxes on agricole goods imported from outside EU. Let me, using your words it would be.... yes, “creating exception import tariffs”. Hey! Isn't that what you just accused Arg of?
What do the Argtards expect?? you fook with a country expect to be fooked back, simplezzz......... yet still to difficult for the tards to grasp,
Aug 20th, 2012 - 12:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Diddums!!!
15 Guzz (#)
Aug 20th, 2012 - 12:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Aug 20th, 2012 - 12:20 pm
If I go into a shop for something but I don't like the price I have the option not to buy. I have the option to go somewhere else for what I want. If the EU imposes restrictions it is their choice, their risk and you can shop elsewhere if you wish. That is the EUs loss. Likewise, if Argentina does something similar then we are also perfectly free to shop elsewhere. We cannot force you to shop with us and you cannot force us to shop with you. Why are you so angry about this concept?
By the way. It is very convenient that you are Swedish now. Very interesting.
17
Aug 20th, 2012 - 12:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I agree, so tell your mates to stop crying about Arg protectionism. If they don't understand, explain to them what you just explained to me.
I'm Uruguayan, with passport, holding a Swedish passport as well. Is that ok with you? I forgot to ask you when I got it, sorry...
18 Guzz (#)
Aug 20th, 2012 - 12:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Aug 20th, 2012 - 12:37 pm
I am telling everybody Guzz and I don't see anybody 'crying' anymore than you are.
Yes it is okay to be Swedish or Uruguayan or Jamaican or American or whatever you want to be. I just think it is interesting that, with the current news stories doing the rounds that you decide to tell us that you are Swedish that is all. Oh apart from the fact that I don't believe you and I am convinced that your are an Argentinian. No big deal. Fill yer boots. It isn't very important really, not to me at least.
19
Aug 20th, 2012 - 12:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Never said I was Swedish, it says Swedish on one of my passports, although it says Uruguayan on the other.
To be honest, your impression of me isn't very important to me either, so lets leave it at that...
On a similar topic Guzz, I'm casually wondering...do you have a life? You seem to be on this website all day, every day. Do you not have a job/friends/loved ones/hobbies? Or is a Mercopress comment board really 'it' for you?
Aug 20th, 2012 - 12:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#15 It is not the same thing Guzz. More often in a free market system, import tariffs are imposed because the product being imported is being “dumped” in the country at an umcompetitvely low price, often hurting the domestic market. They are designed for fair competition, not to restrict. The protectionist measures that Argentina uses are designed to limit, restrict and even eliminate the import product not to create fair competition.
Aug 20th, 2012 - 01:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Back to the topic:
Aug 20th, 2012 - 02:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 01) TMBOA has had a hissy fit and unilaterally decided 'someone' has to pay for the reduction in sales of BD to the EU;
2) Spain announced in April what was effectively a decision not to buy BD from Argentina in protest to TMBOA stealing 51% of YPF.
Question: what has that got to do with the EU? Has the EU dictated that every member country MUST stop buying BD from Argentina? I don't think so.
So, we have an 'internal' problem between two countries, brought about by theft.
The WTO is bound (politely) to tell TMBOA to fcuk off and stop bothering them.
Ha, ha, ha to the power google. :o)
So thats interesting. As Arg oil plants are only working at 76% capacity so they are going to permit imports from Brazil and Paraguay. So are they going to pay for this in thier funny money? As Argentina has a 20% export tax on processed soya oil and presumably on biofuels the mills are not going to be competitive on price for Brazilian and Paraguayan soya. So what is the solution? I think very soon we will have a maritime “accident” on the Parana river which of course will take months to investigate and clear and so stop the export of Paraguayan goods to China through Uruguayan port terminals thus neatly killing two impertinent sparrows with one stone
Aug 20th, 2012 - 03:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Watch this space!
@23
Aug 20th, 2012 - 04:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Therefore by similar inspection, the import restrictions by Argentina are based on BILATERAL matters, since it is certain products from separate countries that is being affected, and not entire treaty concerns, which means they are an “internal” problem between two countries.
@23 Another verbose smoke screen which means nothing put up by Timmermans pet paid troll
Aug 20th, 2012 - 05:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Leprecon,
Aug 20th, 2012 - 05:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You say that in a free market you get to choose what you want to buy, but it doesn’t work like that in Europe. The European agricultural policy subsidised European agricultural produce meaning your choice is partly made by pricing. To be fair on Brits, it is the Frogs who have fought bitterly to keep restrictions on agricultural imports and these measure are generally disapproved of in the UK. But you are part of the EU so you haven’t much choice.
All trade blocks protect what they consider to be key industries – either key technologically, politically or economically.
The daft thing about the Argie position is that they want to fight the EU head on – just pointless. What they should do is swallow their pride, play by the house rules and up their game. Who would have thought 10 years ago that the Koreans would be making serious inroads in the EU car market. They have come from way behind, worked hard, invested wisely and now they are reaping the dividends.
@redpoll
Interesting. I am watching the space.
@27
Aug 20th, 2012 - 05:30 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You forget that the house rules are set up for you to always lose. So maybe its better to burn the house down.
Theres protectionism and theres protectionism. Do these Argentine politicians have no self awareness?
Aug 20th, 2012 - 05:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Argentina (politicians and system) really the world doesnt owe you a favour. And really be more grateful for all that Argentina has and could be with or without interacting with Europe, US etc. Time to grow up and perhaps set a precedent. First step: ditch the religion of nationalism
@27 Well Cristina is evidently a piromaniac manque'e
Aug 20th, 2012 - 05:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#28 Sounds like the argentine way; when rules do not work the way you want them to, break the law. It's not like most countries follow the rule of law anyway.
Aug 20th, 2012 - 06:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I think the La Campora trolls are laughable, probably lead by Fatsimo Kirchner.
You forget the the house rule are set up to always lose for cheaters. Whose hgouse will you wish you could burn down.........have you found sanity ......la cas rosada? Pink is such a pretty color.....ash black is stunning.
you reep what you sow............get it thats a joke
Aug 20th, 2012 - 06:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0redpoll
Aug 20th, 2012 - 06:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You claim at 26 that post 23 is by a Timmerman troll.
I am not an Argie, I am a Brit living in Uruguay and detest the Argie Malvanistas.
You can't do that even if we do that's not fair, we are rgenweener, we can do what we like .................whinge whinge whinge, do yourselves a favour and shut the fook up, the world is laughing at you
Aug 20th, 2012 - 07:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The problem with y'all argument is that, you are stating Argentina is being a hypocrite for taking trade actions and then demanding others don't do the same.
Aug 20th, 2012 - 07:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The “others” have been blocking, tariffing, and banning argentine products for decades, so it was y'all who started it. Just because prior governments didn't have the guts to call you out, doesn't mean that now that we are we somehow are starting it.
You all had protectionist barriers for far longer than 2012.
@33 Chris I know perfectly well who you are. Uruguay is a small country and the comment wasnt directed at you so dont take offence
Aug 20th, 2012 - 07:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Yeah but no one else whinges to the WTO to score cheap points you plank they sort it out like adults
Aug 20th, 2012 - 07:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Ok fair enough, Argentina has the right to impose trade tariffs, it has the right not to talk to the Falkland Islanders, it had the right to walk out of multilateral talks on sharing the FI's resources.
Aug 20th, 2012 - 07:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0But it would be good if Argentina was more manly and did not winge when things go against it, as a result of it's own decisions.
So TMBOA puts up export taxes on biofuels then gets upset when everyone looks for cheaper fuel from the dozen or so other countries that also produce bio-fuels.
Aug 20th, 2012 - 08:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0So no one buys the fuel, Argentina gets no money from the export taxes, and loses customers (even their good friends China who are very canny at sniffing out a good deal), and they seem to think that's unfair?
Well, CFK, this is YOUR economic model in practice.
Troll provide some proof that w'all are banning Argentina's products and the reasons? I know the USA really can't have any trade issues, because when Obama removed the trade preference status.........I believe her words were “who cares about a few lemons”
Aug 20th, 2012 - 08:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 036 redpoll: wow, is Uruguay that small!
Aug 20th, 2012 - 08:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0TTT
I’m not calling Argentina hypocritical. I’m just saying it is better to play by the house rules in every trading block and get your share of the trade, than to pick a fight with everyone and get banned. For example, China makes it hard for foreign companies to do business there yet US, EU, Korea, etc all work hard to get in there and get a piece of the market.
Countries complaining to the WTO about unfar trade practices to the WTO:
Aug 20th, 2012 - 09:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Australia, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey. The initiative was later joined by Chile, Colombia, Peru, China, Hong Kong and Malaysia. However no Mercosur member figures in the list.
@41 Yep condorito we are pretty tight little community. Take guzz for instance. Swedish passport? Well we know he was one of the lucky Tupamaros who got asylum in Sweden. The rest of us had to sweat out the dictatorship out here, preaching a little sedition against that regime when we could while he was nice and comfortable in Sweden. Why does he continue to knock hell out of our country? He may have an Uruguayan passport but he probably hasnt been back for a while. Why the hell doesnt he come home- whatever his political ideology- and help build a better country instead of sniping on the sidelines from Denmark
Aug 20th, 2012 - 10:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 010 years of my life so you could study and get the equality you are finally getting. Don't make me talk, I wouln't want to tell your truths in this forum
Aug 20th, 2012 - 10:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I'm in Denmark because of the deep sea port, I really want to see it happen, I owe you no excuses
Deep sea port? Ok you have the expertise. Come home and lets get on with that. Of course you shouldnt divulge personal details.I dont want your excuses but your patriotism to take our country forward. Or is that an outdated idea?
Aug 20th, 2012 - 11:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Not at all, we never stopped fighting, but the fight changed. From arms to the exile, to sending aid from the same. “Study”, the old ones said, “that is all that counts”...
Aug 20th, 2012 - 11:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Always with a 'meta', they never stopped fighting
For Gods sake Guzz , You sound like the old blancos harking back into history to Aparicio and 1904. O f course we should learn from our history buts its just that. Pepe our president , in spite of being an ex tupamaro guerilla. I dont like him but he is OUR president elected in free and transparent elections. We have a free press and as a politico he is used to flak from the opposition. The days of caudillos dreaming of golpes de estado are long behind us unlike other sudacan countries whose democracy is rocky to say the least. So lets get on and build a better country for Uruguay rather than indulging in past recriminations
Aug 21st, 2012 - 01:40 am - Link - Report abuse 0Lol redpoll, sorry if I came through like a painting from the past. Never meant to and my own fighting was never with sword in hand...
Aug 21st, 2012 - 01:53 am - Link - Report abuse 0redpoll and Guzz
Aug 21st, 2012 - 11:53 am - Link - Report abuse 0When I first came to Uruguay, and let me say again what a fantastic country with great people it is, I was concerned about the new Presidents background.
This soon went away with how he handled matters and the economy continued to go forward.
Of late though, things seem to have changed. His comment that 'the President sometimes has to ignore the Law' was diabolical; his subservient attitude shown to our friends from the south is now way out of proportion for a respectful relationship.
It is making me wonder if the man is ill or the stress of Office is too great.
The reason I speak my mind about Uruguay stems from my love of the country and the people and my frustration when Pepe seems not to care. This lack of apparent 'care' confuses me greatly.
47 redpoll
Aug 21st, 2012 - 02:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I hear you. Same here. There are some who still cling to their romantic notion of resurrecting ideological battles of the past - dinosaurs who will thankfully soon be extinct.
Yes condorito. But there are some who are still fighting the War of the Pacific of 130 years ago. Rather like our nieghbours claim to the Islas de Fantasia, Las Malvinas
Aug 21st, 2012 - 03:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0redpoll
Aug 21st, 2012 - 06:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I think only Evo is still fighting the war of the pacific...and doing about as well as his ancestors did 130 years ago.
Condorito Interesting article in “El Pais ” Montevideo today on a speech by the Paraguayan minister of defence. Does she really think that Bolivia is going to have a second round of the Chaco War? After the drubbing they got last time
Aug 21st, 2012 - 09:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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