Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry-xlovecam
So really, this Brixet is more libertard and Marxist. More jobs for workers and higher costs for finished goods? I have money to spend but I should pay more so you have a job?
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It's almost the direct opposite of that. The EU is a protectionist customs union, not a free trade area. Meaning, each EU country has to apply tariffs on imports from outside the EU. Out of the EU, we can abolish those tariffs unilaterally if we so choose. Britain is a trading nation, but the EU stops us trading in the way we want.
A couple of examples -
Tate & Lyle Sugars (an American owned company, not to be confused with Tate & Lyle itself which sold off its sugar making operations) makes sugar using sugar cane. However, the EU imposes tariffs and import quotas on sugar cane from sugar cane producing countries, in order to protect sugar beet production in EU countries. Meaning, Tate & Lyle Sugars' British factory is running at half capacity and makes no profit.
We all like Netflix, right? Quality boxsets of UK and American TV series and movies. Well guess what, the EU wants to force it to include a certain percentage of EU made content, to protect European TV production. Why the fuck do I want to have French and Spanish TV forced on me? I pay the fee each month to get to watch what I want, not what the EU wants me to watch FFS.
Without tariffs, we could for example buy more wine from Australia, or lamb from New Zealand, if we wished. Or more of anything from anywhere else in the world that fits with our needs. That's if we choose to lift the tariffs once we're out, that will all depend on the trade arrangements we can make.