UK - Japan Free Trade Agreement signed.

[yorksrob]

I think you're massively over-estimating the public interest. Even the EU wasn't exactly of interest until the referendum, and even that was only driven by the relatively small UKIP brigade using it as a scapegoat, most of the population couldn't care less about the minutiae of international trade and relations. Most people will only be aware of these deals when they catch mention of it on the news or in the social media feeds, there really isn't any interest in scrutinising it at all amongst the wider population

Direct democracy works when you have a small, well engaged population. The UK does not have that

I think we probably don't inform the public on such issues as much as we should. If such deals could be distilled into an executive summary with some key bullet points with a copy widly distributed, I think more people would engage.

 

[Domh245]

I think we probably don't inform the public on such issues as much as we should. If such deals could be distilled into an executive summary with some key bullet points with a copy widly distributed, I think more people would engage.

You can lead a horse to water...
More engagement would be nice, but even with all the encouragement in the world, people will still have other priorities with their free time than reading up on a new trade deal with Nauru. There's barely enough engagement during the current general elections!

I'd also point you back to the government's official communication during the EU referendum campaign - "Why are the government wasting £mils on this propaganda" etc

 

[LOL The Irony]

I'm curious why you think this? One of the big factors behind the closure of Swindon was the Japan-EU trade agreement, making it viable for Honda to produce EU (and UK) vehicles in Japan and import them. Additionally, it's the UK-EU agreement that's key for the vehicle manufacturers in the UK - the main market for NMUK and TMUK (and formerly Honda) is European export which will be significantly damaged by a lack of deal between the UK & EU. Nissan & Toyota Manufacturing UK have little to gain from this particular trade deal

I was probably being overly optimistic, but it could allow all non North American Qashqai production to move to Sunderland. Also if you want a new Juke, you have no choice but to get one made at Sunderland.

 

[yorksrob]

You can lead a horse to water...
More engagement would be nice, but even with all the encouragement in the world, people will still have other priorities with their free time than reading up on a new trade deal with Nauru. There's barely enough engagement during the current general elections!

I'd also point you back to the government's official communication during the EU referendum campaign - "Why are the government wasting £mils on this propaganda" etc

I would summarise the document into what we're giving up and what we're gaining. I agree that some people will never engage, but that's no reason not to try.

 

[37424]

If we don't have a trade deal with the EU then I don't expect much Vehicle Manufacture to stay in the UK in the long term, after all the Japanese were enticed to come here originally because we were in the EU, even with a Deal the extra Customs paperwork will be an extra cost and hassle for business, so its doubtful we will get many companies wanting to use the UK as an EU base. I notice Tesla are going to Germany it certainly wouldn't make sense for them to come to the UK now that's for sure.

The Japan deal looks like marginal improvement over the EU, and in terms of level of trade we do with countries Japan is not that high on the list.

I see a Deal with US as mainly a delusion of No Dealers who think we can replace the EU with the US as a main trading partner and an alternate supplier of food to the EU, complete with lower food standards most likely.

 

[HSTEd]

I'll need to study the detail but something that's worth highlighting is that the massive 0.07% boost to GDP was predicated on the assumption that we would have a full free trade deal with the EU - which is looking exceedingly unlikely at the moment.

It's worth noting that the benefits of trade deals in general are dramatically overcooked by certain groups in the UK.
The first ten percent of trade is worth much mroe than the next ten percent, and so on and so on.
The few percent extra you get from these deals is essentially irrelevant.

For example, Taiwan has prospered despite not being in the WHTO and having only a tiny handful of external trade deals, and even those made recently, and with economic powerhouses like Guatemala.

EDIT:
Acronym mixed up.

 

[najaB]

For example, Taiwan has prospered despite not being in the WHO...

It's true that Taiwan is no longer a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO), but I'd imagine that it's membership in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since 2001 is of more import where trade is concerned.

 

[HSTEd]

It's true that Taiwan is no longer a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO), but I'd imagine that it's membership in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since 2001 is of more import where trade is concerned.

Sorry, got the acronyms mixed up.

But Taiwan was a developed country long before 2001.
And it did that without any of these things we are told are essential.

 

[yorksrob]

It's true that Taiwan is no longer a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO), but I'd imagine that it's membership in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since 2001 is of more import where trade is concerned.

Ooh, I wonder who forced it out of the WHO ...

 

[najaB]

But Taiwan was a developed country long before 2001.
And it did that without any of these things we are told are essential.

True. But their GDP per captia was starting to stagnate in the 1990s and growth only took off again after they acceded to the WTO. It might be coincidence, but other countries have seen a similar increase in economic activity after joining.

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/727592/gross-domestic-product-gdp-per-capita-in-taiwan/

 

[HSTEd]

True. But their GDP per captia was starting to stagnate in the 1990s and growth only took off again after they acceded to the WTO. It might be coincidence, but other countries have seen a similar increase in economic activity after joining.

Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/727592/gross-domestic-product-gdp-per-capita-in-taiwan/

Isn't that just the fallout from the 1997 Asian Financial crisis?

 

[najaB]

Isn't that just the fallout from the 1997 Asian Financial crisis?

The stagnation started earlier than that - around 94/95. The Asian Financial Crisis didn't really bite until the end of 97, early 98.