US warns Britain: If you leave EU you face barriers to trading with America

[Luiz 4,253]

The United States is not keen on pursuing a separate free trade deal with Britain if it leaves the European Union, the US trade representative, Michael Froman, said – the first public comments from a senior US official on the matter.

Voters are due to decide by the end of 2017 whether the UK should remain in the EU, and opinion polls show rising support for leaving the bloc.

Froman’s comments on Wednesday undermine a key economic argument deployed by proponents of exit, who say Britain would prosper on its own and be able to secure bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with trading partners.

The US is Britain’s biggest export market after the EU, buying more than $54bn (£35bn) in goods from the UK in 2014.

“I think it’s absolutely clear that Britain has a greater voice at the trade table being part of the EU, being part of a larger economic entity,” Froman told Reuters, adding that EU membership gives Britain more leverage in negotiations.

“We’re not particularly in the market for FTAs with individual countries. We’re building platforms … that other countries can join over time.”

If Britain left the EU, Froman said, it would face the same tariffs and trade barriers as other countries outside the US free trade network.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/oct/29/us-warns-britain-it-could-face-trade-barriers-if-it-leaves-eu

 

[Luiz 4,253]

so it might cost a bit more for an adele album in the future  

[Dramatica 13,698]

Sle Murrica 

 

[Better Day 5,766]

I am still to decide about the  EU

[monsterdreams 1,529]

I think we should stay in tbh

[craig 680]

The Guardian is pro-EU, but American bullying won't play well with Guardian readers (just check the first few comments).

Americans are happy to have a "special relationship" when it means UK cooperates with their foreign policy while Germany etc do nothing or oppose.

[The Child 18,997]

so it might cost a bit more for an adele album in the future  

Here comes her ARTPOP era then. 

[TiphEret 1,320]

I think it's up to the UK and the EU to renegotiate the terms of them staying or not, honestly I can understand why they want to leave but on the other I don't like the hypocrisy behind when they come to get more fundings from EU... Anyway I do think that the EU may have too much power in some cases, free trade and circulation is good as well as partnerships but I don't like too much policing coming from them especially because most of the public don't care about EU and don't bother to vote or know what is going on, they have the worst communication strategy when it comes to make their information available to the average Joe...