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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. mcv · · focus · HN ↗
          I'd like to take a closer look at what exactly Canada is exporting to the US, and what exactly the EU is importing from elsewhere, to see if there's a match. I'd rather buy from Canada than from Russia. Or China. Or the US.
          1. enoint · · focus · HN ↗
            The important categories are oil and potash. Consumer actions might not influence those much.
            1. mcv · · focus · HN ↗
              How much oil is Europe still importing from Russia? I'd rather have Canadian.
              1. WarmWash · · focus · HN ↗
                You know how despite climate change being very real, in day to day discussions with other level headed people, they still very regularly say stuff like

                "We ran the numbers for an EV, and right now gas is still cheaper, so we are holding off on the switch until it makes financial sense"

                Canadian oil would need to be shipped halfway around the world. It would be more expensive. Price is always the top factor for everyone.

                1. mcv · · focus · HN ↗
                  Fair point. What we really need of course is more renewables, and that is happening, but not fast enough, so we still need oil. And I'd rather get our oil in a way that doesn't fuel the Russian war machine, even if it does cost a bit more.
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