Good old Tories.
Sir – Recent reports about the effects of EU
anti-dumping tariffs on Vietnamese workers highlight the damage that
Western protectionism can have on producers in the developing world.
Peter
Mandelson’s heart is clearly in the right place, but in his position as
EU trade commissioner he seems unwilling to fight against the growing
protectionist tide among EU member states.
I
am disappointed that Mr Mandelson now seems to think that tariffs are
the right way to deal with global competition and that he seems
unconcerned about the effect of European protectionism on emerging
markets.
We must show that, when it
comes to free trade, we in Europe are willing to play fair. All that Mr
Mandelson’s tariffs will achieve is to put people out of work in
Vietnam and to make shoes more expensive in Britain.
He should retreat from a protectionist position, re-assert the value of free trade and let the British people benefit.
Alan Duncan MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, London SW1
A letter to the Telegraph today. News report today.
Some random blogger in The Times, Feb 21.
Leave aside for a moment every economist’s suspicion of such tales
of dumping; on close examination they almost never turn out to be true.
Think, instead, of what is happening if it actually is true. The
taxpayers of Vietnam and China are being gouged by their governments.
This money is then — via the subsidy to manufacturers — being offered
to us, the shoe buyers of Europe. We get a pair of shoes plus whatever
the subsidy was to spend on whatever else it is we wish.
It is near insane that the peasant in the rice paddy be taxed
to make us Europeans even richer. But if our rulers actually looked out
for us, they wouldn’t slap a tariff on the shoes. No, the only rational
response to such an offer of free money is that (attributed to) Calvin
Coolidge. When offered his first pay cheque as US President he said to
the Treasury messenger who brought it: “Thank you. Please come again.”
Do keep up Alan old boy.
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