What about the massive subsidies that the EU farmers get? It is a pittance compared to what American farmers get.
This will be settled out of court. Both sides have these subsides for the same reason, votes for their re-elections.
True enough. Japan is actually worse than either the EU or the US at this. And Australia complains about all of them.
Actually, it's a little more like "Protecting the jobs of their constituents" You can call it vote grubbing or you can call it doing what they were elected to do. I wonder how the EU plans to collect. Turn us over to a collection agency? Send a couple French legbreakers? You don't let other countries write your trade policies, your tax policies or your foreign policies for you. If the Swiss are unhappy about this, let them declare war. Same with Lichtenstein, Andorra and Belgium.
What a load of cobblers. The US pushes the WTO when it suits, but now they've ruled in favour of the EU, you want to just ignore them. You can't have it both ways.
Let's face it, these subsidies are hurting both free trade and also the relationship between the US & Europe. The sooner they are eliminated the better. This especially applies to the steel tariffs that have been recently applied. In Europe there has been massive redundancies and consolidation in the last 10 to 15 years as the steel industry has modernised to be competitive. To now be shut out of the US because politicians are scared to take on the vested interests and undergo the same change that Europe has is not acceptable. As far as farm Tariffs go I agree that the European tariffs are unacceptable (as are the US's). Primarily because removing these would do more for economic growth in the Developing world than almost any other measure.
Now wait: You say "The US pushes the WTO" and THEN you say YOU want to just ignore them. Frankly, I think the WTO is nothing more than another excuse for another bloated bureaucracy of international empire builders who don't know anything for sure except that meetings, "conferences" at five star resorts, reports and paperwork require at least 50% more money and 30% more staff than they had last year. Don't lump ME in with anybody who even pays attention to the WTO, let alone somebody who endorses it. "Settle trade disputes" my ass. Some bunch of wogs wants to start a cartel to inflate the price of coffee or rubber or wine, fine. Some other bunch of unwashed snobs wants to put a 500% tariff on imported beef, great. We'll cut them off from decent software and make them watch French TV shows. A couple months if that, they'll be on thier knees.
When is the EU going to pay the money they promised for Afghanistan, or do they only remember things they want to remember?