Strasbourg — The European Parliament approved a landmark free-trade agreement with Canada, shoring up Europe’s market-opening clout in the face of a populist surge across the continent and US President Donald Trump’s protectionist tilt.
Europe is likely to increase business with Canada after the EU parliament gave the green light to the controversial free trade deal CETA. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to address the parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday, after seven years of tough talks. RFI takes a look at what happens next.
The hasty retreat of the US into protectionism, the trade implications of Brexit and the hurried passage of CETA through the European Parliament herald a new era in international trade policy.
The United States under the new administration may discard the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) just like it did with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), to pave the way for new trade policy, focused on local economies and sustainable jobs, experts told Sputnik.
With Theresa May indicating that Britain's future lies outside the EU single market and Donald Trump signalling his desire for a quick US-UK trade deal, the likelihood of a future deal with America has shot up the agenda. But, in line with Barack Obama's warning, the "back of the queue" may be the best place when it comes to a deal with Trump's America.
Globalisation, as can be seen from the TTIP and Ceta deals, is about protecting big business – against the public. No wonder voters in the US and Europe are turning to populists