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EU chief opens door for Canada to become 'associate member'

693 points · 905 comments · hackernj

  1. noir_lord · · focus · HN ↗
    Good, if the middle power democracies don't align/work together they are going to get torn apart in the struggle between the US and China.
    1. krona · · focus · HN ↗
      70% of Canadian exports are to the US. 6% to the EU. Why would e.g. Poland want to enter a trade war with the US on Canada's behalf?
      1. invaliduser · · focus · HN ↗
        If "70% of Canadian exports are to the US", that's probably why the US has so much leverage, and I can see why the Canadian government would like a change. Hence the need for a rebalancing of trade partnerships.
        1. arethuza · · focus · HN ↗
          Wouldn't being strongly aligned with the EU give Canada a lot more leverage in trade discussions with the US?
          1. gizajob · · focus · HN ↗
            No
            1. microtonal · · focus · HN ↗
              Imagine they were in the EU. The EU could leverage the trade bazooka in the current tariff war.

              Even if Canada doesn't join the EU, there is a lot of mutual benefit from an economic and military defense pact (beyond NATO, which is nearly dead).

              1. gizajob · · focus · HN ↗
                I’m not sure what the EU has to trade, except Volkswagens and BMWs which are 10% car and 90% pension costs.
                1. microtonal · · focus · HN ↗
                  You know that the EU has a large trade surplus of goods with the US?
                  1. ericmay · · focus · HN ↗
                    Right… so why do you think the US imposed tariffs? Germany is already seeing gigantic problems via declining exports because of China. Are they going to stop exports to the United States too?

                    The EU can’t add any more “trade bazooka” than it already has. Canada doesn’t change anything in that dynamic.

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