Current Affairs EU In or Out

[peteblue]

No. Whatever gives you that impression?

Well you can’t have it all ways, either they did a good job and got a good trade deal or they did a bad job and gained nothing, which is it....

 

[tsubaki]

Still waiting for that downside ....

you haven’t read it, pete

 

[peteblue]

What language are we gonna be taking advantage of all this in? I've been to Japan several times and it's difficult even in Tokyo to find any English speakers.

You are kidding aren’t you. In every Japanese business I’ve dealt with, all Directors, execs and engineers speak English. Everyone in hotels speaks English. So I assume your trips have been to work in a paddy field and you slept in a tent,....

 

[Tea_drinker]

You are kidding aren’t you. In every Japanese business I’ve dealt with, all Directors, execs and engineers speak English. Everyone in hotels speaks English. So I assume your trips have been to work in a paddy field and you slept in a tent,....

No. But it's a good patronising response. You wont get far in a trade negotiation with 'hotel english' but if you're saying that some elite businessmen can operate in English then I'm sure that our trade with japan will be broad, deep and lucrative across all sectors.

 

[Jebus_lives]

Well you can’t have it all ways, either they did a good job and got a good trade deal or they did a bad job and gained nothing, which is it....

I often wonder how a mind so laser focused and at the top of their field, such as yours, struggles with multi faceted thinking.

It's not either/or.

It's a good thing we've managed to agree a deal with Japan, it is a success for the trade department and the civil service to seemingly replicate what will have been lost as part of the EU-JP trade agreement. We will need these post Brexit.

But, it's not at all clear, in any specific detail what the terms are, so you have to caveat the work done to reach the agreement with any possible information which may be in the legal text.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

For those of you who would rather pick it to pieces and sneer at the deal....fill your boots...

The UK has secured a free trade agreement with Japan, which is the UK’s first major trade deal as an independent trading nation and will increase trade with Japan by an estimated £15.2 billion.

The UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was agreed in principle by International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and Japan’s Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu on a video call this morning (Friday 11 September).

The deal is tailored to the UK economy and secures additional benefits beyond the EU-Japan trade deal, giving UK companies exporting to Japan a competitive advantage in a number of areas. It will help to create jobs and drive economic growth throughout the whole of the UK.

The deal is also an important step towards joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This will give UK businesses a gateway to the Asia-Pacific region and help to increase the resilience and diversity of our supply chains.

UK businesses will benefit from tariff-free trade on 99% of exports to Japan. Government analysis shows that a deal with Japan will deliver a £1.5 billion boost to the UK economy and increase UK workers’ wages by £800 million in the long run.

UK manufacturers, food and drink producers and the tech sector are all set to benefit from the measures in the UK-Japan deal, which include:

• Cutting-edge digital & data provisions that go far beyond the EU-Japan deal. These will enable free flow of data whilst maintaining high standards of protection for personal data. We have also committed to uphold the principles of net neutrality, as well as introducing a ban on data localisation, which will prevent British businesses from having the extra cost of setting up servers in Japan. This will help UK fintech firms operating in Japan - like Revolut and Transferwise - to innovate and grow.

Bit of a stretch to call TransferWise a UK firm. They were created in Tallinn and are very much an Estonian company. Both they and Revolut were founded by foreigners though, which is perhaps pertinent given the "hostile environment". TransferWise also opened an office in Belgium as a result of Brexit, and Hinrikus has been outspoken about his opposition to Brexit (although, like all foreigners living here, he had no actual say in the matter, despite the government being happy to use his work to promote the project).

 

[peteblue]

No. But it's a good patronising response. You wont get far in a trade negotiation with 'hotel english' but if you're saying that some elite businessmen can operate in English then I'm sure that our trade with japan will be broad, deep and lucrative across all sectors.

I apologise for that. But Japans largest trading partner is the USA. Americans tend to use the English language and they seem to get by, so I’m not really sure what your point is.....

 

[peteblue]

I often wonder how a mind so laser focused and at the top of their field, such as yours, struggles with multi faceted thinking.

It's not either/or.

It's a good thing we've managed to agree a deal with Japan, it is a success for the trade department and the civil service to seemingly replicate what will have been lost as part of the EU-JP trade agreement. We will need these post Brexit.

But, it's not at all clear, in any specific detail what the terms are, so you have to caveat the work done to reach the agreement with any possible information which may be in the legal text.

Well, when you have finally read enough of the text and deliberated over its legal tone, perhaps you can then tell me if the Civil Service did well or badly, no rush.....

 

[Tea_drinker]

I apologise for that. But Japans largest trading partner is the USA. Americans tend to use the English language and they seem to get by, so I’m not really sure what your point is.....

It's okay. I did do a bit of camping there anyway once. And it was years ago that I was a regular visitor there. The difference is in Eirope everyone speaks english while I remember that in Japan people would run away if you asked them for directions in english and for those who did speak english the simplest transaction was dragged out and over long. Massive cultural differences.

 

[peteblue]

lol Bit of a stretch to call TransferWise a UK firm. They were created in Tallinn and are very much an Estonian company. Both they and Revolut were founded by foreigners though, which is perhaps pertinent given the "hostile environment". TransferWise also opened an office in Belgium as a result of Brexit, and Hinrikus has been outspoken about his opposition to Brexit (although, like all foreigners living here, he had no actual say in the matter, despite the government being happy to use his work to promote the project).

See, we are even helping European companies.....

 

[orly]

Well, when you have finally read enough of the text and deliberated over its legal tone, perhaps you can then tell me if the Civil Service did well or badly, no rush.....

They did very well to get the deal ready several months ago yes, as did the sector with their input. But again (repeating pattern here) you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

 

[Jebus_lives]

Well, when you have finally read enough of the text and deliberated over its legal tone, perhaps you can then tell me if the Civil Service did well or badly, no rush.....

It's not been released yet Pete. If you've seen it, link it, but otherwise I don't see how you can hold any other opinion than the one I've given.

 

[peteblue]

It's okay. I did do a bit of camping there anyway once. And it was years ago that I was a regular visitor there. The difference is in Eirope everyone speaks english while I remember that in Japan people would run away if you asked them for directions in english and for those who did speak english the simplest transaction was dragged out and over long. Massive cultural differences.

There are massive cultural differences I agree, but having wandered around Tokyo a fair few times, I found little difficulty at train stations, cabs, shops or restaurants. Obviously, being useless at languages, I don’t speak a word of Japanese other than general greetings. I found dealing with the Japanese far easier than dealing with certain Europeans (Italy fine, Germany a pain).......

 

[Jebus_lives]

There are massive cultural differences I agree, but having wandered around Tokyo a fair few times, I found little difficulty at train stations, cabs, shops or restaurants. Obviously, being useless at languages, I don’t speak a word of Japanese other than general greetings. I found dealing with the Japanese far easier than dealing with certain Europeans (Italy fine, Germany a pain).......

Did Germans expect you to talk sensibly and give details?

 

[peteblue]

They did very well to get the deal ready several months ago yes, as did the sector with their input. But again (repeating pattern here) you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

Then please educate us all. I have no intimate line into either the negotiations nor the absolute detail of the deal, so if you have (apart from cheese) then please tell us, this isn’t a competition....