Leaders: The world is bigger than Trump’s US – EU must take the chance
By this time, no one has missed what happened: Donald Trump chose to, unprovoked, start a trade war. And who did he choose as an opponent? The world.
Economic uncertainty is huge. Customs will hurt.
But does this mean that the era of globalization is over? Not necessarily. How the EU acts is crucial.
The United States is one Important trading partner for Europe, but as the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen found: That 13 percent of EU trade takes place with the United States means that 87 percent do not.
The EU not only has the world’s largest internal market – we are a great power in terms of world trade. Only China exports more Goods, only the United States imports more.
The best medicine for world trade concerns is now for the EU to open further to the world. More concrete: We must get more trade agreements.
And it has already begun.
In December, it was reached An agreement between the Union and the Mercosur countries-Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Finally. The negotiations started a quarter of a century then. Now only a few member countries are in the road. France – and the country’s farmers – have, as usual, opposed competition. Poland also hesitates. If the rest of the countries vote for the agreement this year – as planned – the resistance is still not enough to stop the historical agreement.
Signing free trade agreements with more parties will not only make us richer but also more durable.
The Mercosur Agreement would mean a market for 700 million people and over € 130 billion annually. In addition, Europe secures through the access to critical metals such as lithium. Natural resources where we today are all too dependent on China, necessary for, among other things, the electric car industry. The agreement would therefore be both financially and geopolitically important.
In addition, one hopes to reach an agreement with India this year. Talks have also started with Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, among others.
It’s not Strange that the countries of the world are aimed at the only superpower that is still a safe port for mutual free trade and joint growth. It is an opening we should take advantage of.
Signing free trade agreements with more parties will not only make us richer but also more durable. The less dependent on a country we are, the easier you can handle the whims of the world, the less dependent you become of their good will.
There is no doubt that Trump’s games with the economy are dangerous. But before his isolation threat, more and more people understand that closure is not paying off.
Read more:
DN’s editorial staff: Svantesson knows she has a gold position – but not how to use it
