TPP

Legal Advice Sought Over Canadian Backflip On Dairy Trade

Friday, 3 May 2024
Press Release: Inside Government NZ

Trade Minister, Todd McClay, has slammed Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling over dairy trade as “cynical” and says New Zealand has no intention of backing down.

Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of the Government’s “next move” and says the Canadian Government still has time to honour its obligations to New Zealand both in the spirit and substance of the agreement.

New Zealand initiated the dispute because Canada was not complying with Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) rules, blocking dairy exporters’ access to its market, the Minister said.

A CPTPP arbitration panel ruled decisively in New Zealand’s favour. Canada had until 1 May to change how it administered its tariff rate quotas – to stop giving its own domestic industry priority access, and to allow exporters to benefit fully from the market access negotiated in good faith between Canada and New Zealand.

“The changes Canada has published today do not comply with the ruling. Canada’s ongoing failure to meet its legal commitments is disappointing, but we have no intention of giving in on this. We back our exporters and we will defend hard-won free trade agreement commitments,” Mr McClay says.

“New Zealand’s prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60% of the country’s total economic activity. It is only through a strong economy that we can reduce the cost of living and afford the public services Kiwis deserve."

“We continue to engage in good faith throughout this process and I’ve asked officials to provide advice on next steps. I will be making an announcement on that in due course.

“New Zealand supports trade rules and takes seriously its obligations to trade partners. We expect others to show us the same courtesy,” he said.

Government of Canada urged to take action on transnational repression of Hong Kongers in Canada

Today, Hong Kong Watch published a new briefing on the safety of Hong Kongers in Canada in the face of transnational repression and foreign interference.

This briefing warns about new threats expected to be faced by Hong Kongers with the passing of the new Safeguarding National Security Bill under Article 23 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong. It also includes case studies of transnational repression experienced by the diaspora in Canada, and recommendations for the Government and parliamentarians.

This briefing was presented to Canadian Parliamentarians in an online briefing session today. Among those in attendance were the offices of Senator Leo Housakos, Jean Yip MP, Tom Kmiec MP, Stéphane Bergeron MP, Jenny Kwan MP, and Greg McLean MP.

Hong Kong Watch’s key recommendations for the Government of Canada and Parliamentarians are as follows:

Condemn Hong Kong’s Article 23 legislation and clearly state that the extraterritorial provisions of the law will not be applied in Canada, and any attempts to do so will be duly prosecuted according to domestic law;


Create an interdepartmental agency to combat transnational repression;


Establish a foreign agent registry;


Relevant committees undertake a study on transnational repression in Canada; and


Establish a reporting hotline in Cantonese for Hong Kongers facing transnational repression in Canada.

The full briefing can be read here.

Katherine Leung, Hong Kong Watch’s Policy Advisor for Canada, commenting on the briefing, said:

“With the passage of new security legislation under Article 23 in Hong Kong and its extraterritorial implications, it is increasingly important for the Government of Canada to take seriously the issue of transnational repression faced by the Hong Kong community in this country. The rights and freedoms that Hong Kongers came to Canada for are under threat.

We urge the Government to implement a strong framework to protect Hong Kongers who now reside in Canada from transnational repression and foreign interference, ensuring that the long reach of Beijing cannot harm those who are now on Canadian soil for exercising their rights and freedoms.”

香港監察就在加港人安全發表簡報 促請加國政府採取行動應對跨國鎮壓

今天，香港監察就香港人在加拿大面對跨國鎮壓和外國干預時的安全問題發表新簡報。

香港當局最近通過根據《基本法》第23條所制訂的《維護國家安全條例》（俗稱23條），這份簡報就香港人在新法下料將面臨的新威脅作警告。此外，簡報載有加拿大離散社群所經歷的跨國鎮壓個案研究，以及給加拿大政府和國會議員的建議。

香港監察在今天舉行的網上簡報會上，向加拿大國會議員匯報這份簡報。與會者包括參議員Senator Leo Housakos、國會議員Jean Yip MP、Tom Kmiec MP、Stéphane Bergeron MP、Jenny Kwan MP、Greg McLean MP或其辦事處代表。

香港監察向加拿大政府和國會議員提出的主要建議如下：

譴責香港23條立法，並明確表示23條的域外條文不適用於加拿大，任何企圖這樣做的行為均將根據國內法律受到適當起訴；


成立跨部門機構打擊跨國鎮壓；


設立外國代理人登記處；


相關委員會就加拿大發生的跨國鎮壓展開研究；及


為在加拿大面對跨國鎮壓的香港人設立廣東話舉報熱線。

請在此處閱讀簡報全文。

香港監察加拿大政策顧問Katherine Leung表示：

「有見香港根據23條通過新國安法及其潛在域外影響，加拿大政府愈須認真對待香港社區面對的跨國鎮壓問題。香港人赴加所尋求的權利和自由現正受到威脅。

我們促請政府制訂穩固的框架，保護現居加拿大的香港人免受跨國鎮壓和外國干預，確保北京的長臂不會危害現時在加拿大國土上行使權利和自由的人。」

UK facing Brexit realities after failed Canada talks


By AFP
January 26, 2024
Véronique DUPONT


The UK’s failed free trade talks with Canada show that it is struggling to deliver on its promises to thrive after Brexit, experts said on Friday.

London has been seeking to sign new trade pacts around the world to show it was right to sever ties with its nearest neighbours nearly four years ago.

But negotiators paused talks with Ottawa late Thursday, with sources pinpointing British cheese imports to Canada and Canadian beef exports to the UK as major sticking points to agreement.

“We will only negotiate deals that deliver for the British people, and we reserve the right to pause negotiations where progress is not being made,” said a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

“We’re open to restarting talks with Canada in the future.”

The main opposition Labour party, which is widely expected to win this year’s general election, called it “another significant failure from the Conservatives to honour their promises”.

Keith Pilbeam, economics professor at City, University of London, said the pro-Brexit government had overplayed its cards.

“It undermines the UK and shows that the Brexiteers considerably overstated how easy trade deals would be to do alone in the world with our much smaller economy compared to that of the EU,” he told AFP.

“The UK did well rolling over existing EU deals but is finding it very hard to negotiate its own trade deals as the concessions that other countries like Canada and the US want from us are not acceptable to UK citizens, businesses and farmers.”

– Unrealistic –

King’s College London economist Jonathan Portes talked down the direct impact on UK trade, given that Canada is not one of the UK’s biggest trading partners.

But he added: “More broadly it shows the limitations of the government’s trade strategy… to use post-Brexit trade deals to offset the negative impacts of Brexit on trade.

“That was never realistic.”

Brexiteers have repeatedly talked up the benefits of leaving the EU since Britons voted narrowly in favour of quitting the bloc in 2016.

They promised “sunlit uplands” of economic prosperity, while Boris Johnson, the former prime minister, said Brexit would free the UK to project itself on the world stage.

Opponents, though, claim that alongside restrictions to freedom of movement and increased red tape, departure has helped fuel rampant inflation and worsen a cost-of-living crisis.

Some trade deals have been signed, including with faster-growing economies such as Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

The UK also joined 11 Asia-Pacific countries who are members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

A much sought-after free trade deal with the United States remains elusive.

With Canada, an interim deal with the UK preserved many of the same conditions as under the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU.

But its provisions for British cheese imports to Canada expired last month, leaving some UK exporters facing customs duties of 245 percent, according to the British Chambers of Commerce.

“Some exporters will not find it competitive to export to Canada anymore… They are in a worst position than they were before Brexit,” BCC head of trade policy William Bain told AFP.

– Protectionism –

Added to the picture, the rules of origin — which stipulate how much of the value of UK car exports must be produced in Britain — are due to expire in March.

That could slap customs duties of 10 percent on car exports heading to Canada, the BCC says.

The failure of talks between two G7 and Commonwealth allies which share a king showed the “rise in protectionism across the world”, with exporters suffering the consequences, said Bain.

The president of Britain’s National Farmers Union (NFU), Minette Batters, called it “the right decision”, however.

“On products such as beef and cheese, Canada was demanding too much and offering too little,” she said.

“We understand that Canada made repeated attempts to force the UK to change its food safety rules and to extract unreasonable concessions for maintaining our preferential access to its cheese market beyond the end of 2023.”

David Henig, trade expert at London-based think-tank the European Centre for International Political Economy, said Britain was looking to preserve its food and veterinary standards after criticism of its previous deal with Australia.

UK farmers contend they face competition from cheaper Australian exports like beef and lamb due to industrial farming methods and relaxed food safety requirements.

“This pause shows that the realities of trade negotiations are catching up with the UK, that protecting food standards can lead to problems in talks, and that choices have to be made,” he said,

“The UK has chosen — after a backlash from farmers to the Australia deal — to not repeat this experience.”

Factbox-Vietnam's 'bamboo diplomacy' shifts into higher gear
Reuters
Wed, December 27, 2023 

FILE PHOTO: 13th national congress of the ruling communist party of Vietnam in Hanoi

HANOI (Reuters) - Communist Party-ruled Vietnam has upgraded ties with the world's top powers, including former foes, China and the United States, as part of its "bamboo diplomacy", which it has pro-actively pursued since 2021 to navigate rising global tensions.

After a string of deals this year and last, the Southeast Asian country's top partners include the United States, China, India, South Korea and Russia, which for decades has supplied most of Vietnam's military equipment.

Below are details of Vietnam's increasingly dynamic foreign policy approach and its most important diplomatic agreements over the last 12 months.

WHAT IS 'BAMBOO DIPLOMACY'?

A regional manufacturing powerhouse, Vietnam is an increasingly strategic player in global supply chains.

To bolster this position, the country's most powerful figure, Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, used in 2021 the imagery of "strong roots, stout trunk, and flexible branches" of the bamboo plant to describe Vietnam's foreign policy approach of having "more friends, fewer foes".

CHINA

Vietnam and China earlier this month agreed to build a community with a "shared future" during a visit to Hanoi by Chinese President Xi Jinping, his first to an Asian country this year.

The two nations signed 36 cooperation documents in areas such as transport infrastructure, trade, security and digital economy, and published a joint declaration with wide-ranging commitments.

China is Vietnam's largest trading partner and a vital source of imports for its manufacturing sector, but the two communist countries have been for years embroiled in disputes in the South China Sea - the latest in May. Tensions have subsided somewhat more recently as Beijing's attention has focused on another claimant in the waterway, the Philippines.

UNITED STATES

Vietnam and the United States elevated in September their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the highest level in Vietnam's ranking, and announced closer cooperation on semiconductors and critical minerals during a visit to Hanoi by U.S. president Joe Biden.

The United States, which is the top importer of Vietnam's goods, pushed for the upgrade as part of its strategy to secure uninterrupted access to global supply chains and to contain China in the South China Sea.

JAPAN

Vietnam and Japan in November upgraded their relations to Vietnam's top tier during a visit by Vietnamese president Vo Van Thuong to Tokyo, agreeing to boost security and economic cooperation.

Japanese multinationals, including Canon, Honda, Panasonic and Bridgestone, are among the largest foreign investors in Vietnam.

SOUTH KOREA

Vietnam and South Korea elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in December 2022 during a visit to Seoul by then Vietnamese president Nguyen Xuan Phuc, focusing on trade, investment, defence and security.

South Korea is the largest source of foreign investment in Vietnam, with Samsung Electronics being the largest single foreign investor in the country where it assembles half its smartphones.

In June the two countries signed 17 additional agreements, including on security and critical minerals during a visit to Vietnam by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

VATICAN CITY

Vietnam and the Vatican agreed in July to have the first post-war resident papal representative in Hanoi during a visit to meet Pope Francis by Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong. The representative was appointed in December.

Home to nearly 7 million Catholics, Vietnam broke relations with the Vatican after the Communists took over the reunited country at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Talks to appoint a papal representative had started in 2009.

TRADING HUB

Vietnam is part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economic union and has free trade deals with the European Union, Britain, Chile and South Korea. In July it added Israel to its list of free-trade partners.

It is also a member of wider trade pacts, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which includes Canada, Australia and Mexico, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which includes China and Japan.

WHO'S NEXT?

In 2024, Vietnam is expected to upgrade ties with Australia to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

A visit to the country next year by French President Emmanuel Macron is also being considered, as the former colonial power seeks to boost ties on security and infrastructure development.

(Reporting by Khanh Vu and Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor)

Economic statecraft with American characteristics

MARK BEESON VAN JACKSON

The United States keeps pitching Asia regional deals for
economic arrangements that are not politically viable at home.

Pressing trade deals that do little more than insulate American tech oligopolies from the laws and regulations of Asian nations will not restore US primacy or counteract China’s influence 

(Dall.e/Canva)

Published 29 Nov 2023 

 Follow @WonkVJ

Once upon a time, trade policy was a bit dull and the preserve of pointy-headed specialists. Its ends were rarely scrutinised. Its means were obscure to the public and largely exempted from political friction.

Now, however, trade policy is increasingly integral to a nationalist form of “economic statecraft” that has come to define inter-state competition, especially between the United States and China. Consequently, “getting trade policy right” is a highly political question subject to a range of conflicting interests and priorities that make identifying – let alone pursuing – a clear-cut “national interest” all but impossible.

The difficulties of separating economic and strategic policies are unusually acute for the United States.

For example, Donald Trump signalled just how dramatically American priorities can change with the abrupt departure of the United States from negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). But American attitudes toward globalisation and neoliberal economics have changed too, and Trump’s possible return highlights just how persistent the theme of American unpredictability is likely to be as it struggles to accommodate competing goals and interests within the fractious world of Washington.
China is already the region’s dominant economic actor and the principal economic partner of all its neighbours.

The latest iteration of regional economic statecraft is the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), an initiative that many in the region would struggle to name, let alone benefit from. And the plan has become increasingly tangled with domestic politics, with criticism about the influence of “Big Tech” lobbyists that not only advocated for but literally wrote portions of the IPEF text for the Biden administration. Members of the Democratic Party in Congress are increasingly vocal about the agreement’s failure to protect labour rights and the environment, forcing a promised grand announcement about IPEF at the recent APEC summit in San Francisco to be reined in at the last minute.

As happened with the TPP, which was eventually adopted as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the United States has solicited the support of Asian governments for an economic arrangement that is not politically viable for the United States itself. And even if the Biden administration was willing to make IPEF a vessel for worker interests and environmental protections, insisting on either may make the agreement much more difficult for countries in Southeast Asia to accept, especially given that it offers no privileged market access to the United States.A launch event for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) in May 2022 ahead of the Quad summit in Tokyo (Adam Schultz/Official White House Photo)

More fundamentally in the context of the United States’ long-term competition with China for regional influence, IPEF is unlikely to change the existing direction of travel. China is already the region’s dominant economic actor and the principal economic partner of all its neighbours.

Enthusiasts of great-power rivalry often overlook that in the decades since the 1997–98 Asian Financial Crisis, Asian governments have constructed a financial and economic architecture that buoys their economic interdependence largely to the exclusion of the United States. The Chiang Mai Initiative for intra-regional currency swapping, the Asian Bond Market Initiative, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Plus-Three (China, Japan, and South Korea), the ASEAN Surveillance Process, the Northeast Asia Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) are just a handful of the arrangements that constitute Asia’s economic order.

China is party to most of them; the United States is party to none of them. And this list excludes the numerous Sino-centric institutions networking the region such as the Belt and Road Initiative, or the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), which excludes the United States but includes all its key regional allies.
Unpalatable and unlikely as it may be, perhaps there is something that American policymakers might learn from the Chinese approach.

The salutary lesson is that America does not run the table on Asian political economy anymore. Pressing trade deals that do little more than insulate American tech oligopolies from the laws and regulations of Asian nations will not restore US primacy or counteract China’s influence. America’s “Build Back a Better World” initiative is a pale imitation of China’s grandiose Belt and Road Initiative, which despite much criticism, has delivered tangible outcomes that are literally cementing China’s place in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

Unpalatable and unlikely as it may be, perhaps there is something that American policymakers might learn from the Chinese approach. Successful economic statecraft depends more on addressing the key concerns of potential partners: poverty alleviation, transitioning to sustainable economic growth, and delivering useful infrastructure and investment.

But at a time when the United States is distracted by conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, not to mention the polarisation of domestic politics, it may prove difficult for American foreign policymakers to move beyond the all too familiar staples of containment and zero-sum competition with its principal rival.

It’s worth remembering the long peace of Asia owed a good deal to the development of cooperative coexistence between the United States and China. Economic interdependence could still be a force for more stable great power relations, and one that would likely be welcomed throughout the Indo-Pacific. Whether any country’s economic statecraft can rise above the short-term national interest may prove to be the defining issue of our time.

UK’s Sunak makes pre-election pitch in first King’s Speech since 1951

AFP

November 6, 2023

King Charles III deputised for his mother Queen Elizabeth II at the State Opening of Parliament in May last year - Copyright POOL/AFP Ben Stansall

Peter HUTCHISON

Charles III gives the first King’s Speech in more than 70 years Tuesday, formally opening the UK parliament with a run-down of his government’s legislative plans as an election looms.

The 74-year-old head of state will outline Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wish list of new laws that are expected to underline differences with the main opposition Labour Party.

The address from a golden throne in the House of Lords comes as the Tories, in power since 2010, trail Labour by double-digits in most opinion polls before an election widely expected next year.

“The King’s Speech represents one of the last chances for Rishi Sunak to set out his stall,” said Richard Carr, an associate professor in public policy and strategy at Anglia Ruskin University.

“Being a low-polling prime minister, one of the few virtues he currently has is he can set the national agenda, control what his supportive newspapers print, and thereby try and set a series of hurdles for the opposition to jump through,” he told AFP.

The ceremonial address, and the traditions that accompany it, is Charles’s first as monarch, although he had a dry run deputising for his mother Queen Elizabeth II in May last year.

It is also Sunak’s first since succeeding Liz Truss, who took over from Boris Johnson as prime minister just two days before the queen’s death and lasted only 49 days in office.

In the speech, Sunak will reinforce clear dividing lines that he is drawing with Keir Starmer’s centre-left Labour party over the environment and energy.

It will propose a law granting new licences for oil and gas projects in the North Sea annually that Sunak says will reduce Britain’s reliance on foreign energy and create jobs.

He had already announced a rollback of green energy policies in September, positioning himself as a champion of motorists in a bid to turn around his party’s fortunes.

Labour has said it will not award any new oil and gas exploration licences and has pledged instead to boost investment in green energy

– Rituals –

Sunak’s proposals may make uncomfortable reading for Charles, who has devoted his life to environmental causes.

The speech, which should last around 10 minutes, is also expected to announce tougher sentencing guidelines around life terms and an end to early release for some violent sexual offenders.

Sunak is likely to include a phased smoking ban, which he announced at last month’s Tory conference, and reforms to home ownership laws.

The King’s Speech signifies the start of a new parliamentary year and was last delivered by a male monarch in 1951 — although not in person as King George VI was unwell.

It indicates the types of laws the government hopes to get through parliament in the next 12 months.

Although a Tory defeat at the next election is far from a foregone conclusion, owing to their sizeable parliamentary majority, a loss would mean much of the legislation never seeing the light of day.

“The problem for Sunak is he’s running out of time, the public are both bored and angry at Conservative governance,” added Carr.

Tuesday’s state opening typically involves the sovereign travelling to the Houses of Parliament by carriage from Buckingham Palace.

An MP is ceremonially held “hostage” to ensure the king’s safe return.

Royal bodyguards ritually search the basement of the Palace of Westminster for explosives — a legacy of the failed attempt by Catholics to blow up parliament in 1605.

The monarch leads a procession through the House of Lords, parliament’s unelected upper chamber, before giving the speech there to assembled lords and ladies, plus invited members of the elected lower House of Commons.

King's speech: UK government to focus on crime, economy – and rolling back climate measure

Agence France-Presse
November 7, 2023 

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend the state opening of parliament at the Houses of Parliament in London on November 7, 2023.© Leon Neal, AP

Britain's government set out its plans to tackle crime, boost growth and water down climate change measures on Tuesday, an unashamedly political agenda that could offer clues to how Conservatives plan to campaign ahead of elections next year.

In an agenda written by the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak but delivered by King Charles III to lawmakers at parliament's ornate House of Lords, Sunak signalled his intent to create a dividing line with the opposition Labour Party before elections that must be called by the end of 2024.

The speech, which lasted just over 10 minutes, set out the government's modest slate of 21 bills, ranging from changes to the way soccer teams are run to a clampdown on unlicensed pedicabs.

The government also announced plans to continue watering down environmental measures, a trend begun by Sunak when he lifted a moratorium on North Sea oil and gas extraction in July. A planned law will require new oil and gas drilling licenses in the North Sea to be awarded every year. The government argues that will protect jobs, cut Britain’s reliance on foreign fuel and increase energy security while environmentalists and opposition parties say it will just make it harder for the UK to make the switch to renewable energy.

With Labour running way ahead in the opinion polls, the prime minister's team is hoping that his agenda will close the gap by reducing the "burden" of Britain's climate targets on households and by toughening sentences for violent offenders.

There was little new in the King's Speech, more a collection of what Sunak has worked on since becoming prime minister last year on a pledge to bring stability after two fellow Conservative leaders were forced from power in a matter of weeks.

Reading some of the government's climate policies might have jarred on Charles, who has campaigned on environmental issues for more than 50 years. But government officials have repeatedly said ministers were not giving up on the overall targets, just being more "pragmatic" in how they get there.

"My government will, in all respects, seek to make long-term decisions in the interests of future generations," Charles, wearing the Imperial State Crown and royal robes, told a hushed audience of lawmakers in the upper house of parliament.

"By taking these long-term decisions, my government will change this country and build a better future," he added.

It was the first time Charles had made the speech as king – though he stood in for his mother Queen Elizabeth II months before her death last year – in a ceremony marked by pomp and pageantry.


Arriving at parliament from Buckingham Palace in a grand carriage procession, he then led a ceremony, with some of its traditions traced back to the 16th century, that delivers the government's agenda in line with Britain's unusual constitutional division of executive powers.

Election campaign

What Charles read out suggested Britain has already entered campaign season.

The government signalled it would move ahead with the Sentencing Bill that will bring forward tougher jail sentences for the most serious offenders, and repeated its pledge to boost economic growth and reduce inflation.

But, in a possible sign that calls from some Conservative lawmakers to offer voters tax cuts will go unheeded, the King said: "My ministers will address inflation and the drivers of low growth over demands for greater spending or borrowing."

Sunak also confirmed he would phase out tobacco sales to young people in England and press on with attempts to tackle illegal migration.

In an attempt to win over younger voters, the government also said it would press ahead with reforms to the housing market, outlawing no-fault evictions for renters and amending a system described by a minister as "feudal" which forces the owners of some properties to pay rent to a freeholder.

But Sunak faces an uphill struggle to win back voters, with Labour holding an around 20-point lead in the polls. His party is mired in allegations of sex scandals, under scrutiny over its actions during the Covid-19 pandemic and is deeply divided over its strategy before the next election.

He is hopeful his agenda can turn things around.

"We have turned the corner over the last year and put the country on a better path," he said in his introduction.

"But these immediate priorities are not the limit of our ambition. They are just the foundations of our plan to build a better future for our children and grandchildren, and deliver the change the country needs."

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters and AP)

Britain bans 'laughing gas' to curb anti-social behaviour

2023/11/08


LONDON (Reuters) - A ban on the recreational use and possession of nitrous oxide, also known as 'laughing gas', comes into force in Britain on Wednesday, with people caught producing, supplying or selling the drug facing long prison sentences.

The substance, which causes a feeling of euphoria, relaxation and dissociation from reality, has grown in popularity, particularly among young people but the government said it fuelled nuisance behaviour and posed a health hazard.

"For too long the use of this drug in public spaces has contributed to anti-social behaviour which is a blight on communities. We will not accept it," Britain's policing minister Chris Philp said in a statement.

Under the new ban, people who repeatedly misused laughing gas could face fines or up to two years in prison, with a maximum jail punishment for dealing the drug doubled to 14 years.

According to health ministry figures, nitrous oxide is the third most common drug used by 16 to 24-year-olds, and heavy use can result in anaemia, and in more severe cases, nerve damage or paralysis.

In September, interior minister Suella Braverman said people were "fed up" with the use of drugs in public spaces, with discarded gas canisters being littered across Britain's streets.

The ban exempts its legitimate use including for healthcare, dentistry, and in other industries. Licences will not be required, but users will need to demonstrate they are "lawfully in possession" of the drug and not intending to inhale it, the government said.

Under the ban, nitrous oxide will be prescribed as a "Class C" drug and classified in "the least harmful" category of drugs under Britain's laws alongside anabolic steroids, benzodiazepines and growth hormones.

(Reporting by Farouq Suleiman; editing by Michael Holden)

© Reuters

Factbox-The laws British PM Sunak wants to pass before the next election

2023/11/07


LONDON (Reuters) - King Charles set out the British government's plans for legislation over the coming months on Tuesday with a highly political package of measures, including the promise of tougher sentences for serious criminals, before a national election expected next year.

The King's Speech - given by the monarch but written by government ministers - opens the new session of parliament.

This is likely to be the last one before the election, which must be held by January 2025, and many policies were aimed at appealing to voters.

Below are some of the main proposed new laws:

LAW AND ORDER

The government plans to introduce five pieces of legislation intended to toughen sentences and deter crime in a sign that the governing Conservatives hope to make this a key election issue.

The Sentencing Bill will mean murderers who carry out sexually motivated or sadistic attacks will automatically face life in jail without the prospect of parole.

The Criminal Justice Bill will also mean that criminals will be made to appear in the court when they are sentenced so they can hear statements from victims.

This comes after a nurse who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and a man who shot a nine-year-old girl this year refused to attend their sentencing hearings.

The legislation will also give the police powers to enter a property without a warrant to seize goods if they have reasonable proof that a stolen item was at an address.

CIGARETTES AND VAPES

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will deliver on Sunak's promise made last month to phase out all tobacco sales in England.

Under the legislation, anyone who was born on or after Jan. 1, 2009, will never be allowed to legally buy cigarettes.

The government said it was also looking to bring in rules regulating the flavours and descriptions of vapes that critics say are targeted at children.

OIL DRILLING

The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill will set up annual licensing rounds for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, in a move the government said would create certainty for the industry during a transition to greener energy.

The opposition Labour Party, which has a double-digit lead in opinion polls, has said it would stop issuing new oil and gas licences in the North Sea, though it will respect any that are granted before an election.

CONSUMER PROTECTION

The government will introduce the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, which will give ministers new powers to tackle "drip pricing" where companies advertise a low price online before adding extra fees.

Consumers will also be given powers to make it easier to get out of subscription contracts, which the government said cost people around 1.6 billion pounds ($1.97 billion) a year.

HOUSING

The government will amend the system, described by the housing minister as "feudal", which forces the owners of some properties to pay rent to a freeholder.

The Leasehold and Freehold Bill means all new houses in England and Wales will be exempt from having to pay these extra costs.

The Renters' Reform Bill will push ahead with a plan to end no-fault evictions in England, four years after the legislation was first promised.

SOCCER REGULATOR

The government plans to set up an independent football regulator, who will be responsible for scrutinising club owners and their financial resources.

The new legislation will require owners to ensure fans are consulted on changes to club's badges, names and shirt colours.

The regulator will have the power to stop clubs joining breakaway leagues, after six English clubs attempted in 2021 to join a new European Super League.

TRADE

Britain will bring forward a bill to allow it to meet its obligations as it accedes to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Britain in March struck a deal to join the 11-country trans-Pacific trade pact, which includes Australia and Japan, and formally signed the treaty in July.

The bill gives CPTPP parties greater access to the government's procurement market, enhances regulatory co-operation and expands copyright protections, as has been agreed under the terms of Britain's accession to the agreement.

($1 = 0.8130 pounds)

(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill and Alistair Smout, editing by Elizabeth Piper, Alex Richardson and Barbara Lewis)

© Reuters

CPTPP panel sides with New Zealand over Canada dairy supply-management rules

Story by The Canadian Press •

CPTPP panel sides with New Zealand over Canada dairy supply-management rules© Provided by The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — A Pacific Rim trade dispute panel has found Canada's dairy-sector protections violate obligations that Ottawa signed with New Zealand and other countries.

The Liberal government, however, insists the ruling is a win, pointing to a clause that confirms Canada has some discretion over its imports.

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership includes certain quotas for countries to export dairy at preferred tariff rates into other member countries.

New Zealand says Canada is limiting its quotas to protect domestic dairy processors, who operate under federal rules regulating the cost and supply of products such as milk and cheese.

The country argues its dairy sector has lost the equivalent of $96 million in revenue from the Canadian market in the past three years due to the federal government "effectively blocking access for our dairy industry to upscale its exports" to Canada.

The dispute settlement panel issued a report on Tuesday that says it agrees with part of New Zealand's complaint, which dates back to May 2022. The panel ordered Ottawa to change how it uses tariff rate quotas, often called TRQs.

"It’s an important recognition that our exporters have not had fair access to the Canadian dairy market, in line with what we negotiated and paid for under CPTPP," wrote New Zealand's High Commissioner to Canada, Martin Harvey, in a statement.

“The outcome of the panel process leaves Canada no choice but to finally make TRQs available to those market players who have an incentive to use them," Harvey wrote, adding that he is confident the ruling wouldn't hinder relations between the two countries.

Australia and Japan filed submissions in support of New Zealand, while Mexico, Peru and Singapore also expressed an interest in pushing back against Canada's use of dairy quotas.

Tuesday's dispute-settlement report sided with New Zealand on two complaints, finding the country could not use Canada's quotas and that Canada gave priority access to its own dairy processors, while rejecting two other arguments.

The report noted it was "informative" that Washington had won a separate case on similar grounds to those raised by New Zealand, during a dispute under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, which replaced the NAFTA trade deal.

Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng did not speak to Ottawa's losses, instead saying it was a "clear victory" that the ruling acknowledged Canada has some leeway in how it applies the trade agreement.

"It confirms that Canada has the discretion to allocate TRQs, and that's really important to us," Ng told reporters Wednesday in Jakarta.

"They didn't think that we were allocating our TRQs in the way that they would like."

Canada's influential domestic dairy lobby is calling on Ottawa to see whether it can launch retaliatory complaints against New Zealand.

"Dairy Farmers of Canada is disappointed with the dispute panel’s ruling," wrote the group's president David Wiens.

"We now call on the federal government to do a thorough review of the measures the government of New Zealand has put in place to support its dairy sector, to ensure that they are consistent with its international trade obligations."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2023.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said the dispute settlement panel for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership issued its report on Wednesday.

UK Joins Pacific Trade Deal, Sees ‘Very Low’ Chance of US Pact



Isabel Reynolds and Wei Zhou
Sun, July 16, 2023

(Bloomberg) -- The UK signed a treaty to join a Pacific trade deal on Sunday, becoming the first new member since the framework came into force and shifting attention to a list of other applicants led by China.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch defended the deal as meaningful for the UK even though it already had trade agreements with most of the countries involved, and internal projections show a minimal economic impact.

“It will make a significant amount of difference,” she said on Sky News from Auckland. “We have a seat at the table in the fastest growing region.”

Badenoch also said that the chances the UK can ink a trade deal with the US are “very low.” The ability to ink such agreements, particularly with the world’s largest economy, was a major part of the UK’s Brexit campaign.

“The US is not carrying out any free trade agreements with any country,” Badenoch said on Sky. “Lots of countries have been looking to have free trade agreements with the US, including us, but for now they said that’s not something they want to do, and we need to respect that.”

Badenoch signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership in New Zealand, the government said in a statement. New Zealand is chairing a meeting attended by 11 trade ministers and delegations from CPTPP economies.

Formerly known as the TPP, the agreement at one time included the US and was seen as a way of containing China’s growing influence in the Asia Pacific. Former President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the pact in 2017 and China made its application to join in 2021.

CPTPP-owned businesses employ 1% of UK workers, and membership is expected to “turbocharge investment” further, according to the UK government. British whiskey and cars are among 99% of current UK goods exports to CPTPP that’s set to be eligible for zero tariffs, it added.

“The UK’s formal accession to CPTPP marks a significant milestone for UK trade, enabling ambitious British businesses to connect with the world’s most exciting growth markets for start-ups, innovation and technology,” Ian Stuart, chief executive officer at HSBC UK, said in the statement.

China Next

Beijing is next in sequential order to enter negotiations as the CPTPP seeks to expand, followed by Taiwan, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Uruguay and Ukraine. But China’s accession would be divisive given tensions with existing members including Japan, Australia and next year’s chair, Canada.

“There was no specific discussion on any of the individual aspirants,” New Zealand Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor said in Auckland at a press conference on Sunday.

The 12 CPTPP members are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the UK and Vietnam. The bloc, which is home to 500 million people, would account for 15% of global GDP with the inclusion of the UK joins, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Critics Slam Lobbying by Tech Giants in Indo-Pacific Talks

While the US last year established a rival pact known as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, it doesn’t include provisions for market access. China is not among the 14 members negotiating that agreement.

--With assistance from Chris Kay.

SEE 

https://plawiuk.blogspot.com/2023/07/uk-formally-signs-up-to-trans-pacific.html

UK formally signs up to trans-Pacific trading bloc

UK IS AN ISLAND SO ARE THE PACIFIC NATIONS

Phil HAZLEWOOD
Sun, July 16, 2023 

UK Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said the CTPP deal was a great opportunity

The UK government on Sunday hailed what it said was its biggest trade deal since Brexit, as it formally signed a treaty to join a major Indo-Pacific bloc.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch signed the accession protocol for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in New Zealand.

It makes the United Kingdom the first new member and first European nation to join the bloc since it was created in 2018.

The CPTPP comprises the UK's fellow G7 members Canada and Japan, plus long-standing allies Australia and New Zealand, alongside Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

It has been seen as a bulwark against Chinese dominance in the region, although Beijing has applied to join.

Badenoch said in an interview with Sky News that the deal showed the UK "looking outwards towards the world".

"We have a seat at the table in the fastest-growing region, countries are queuing up (to join)," she added.

"I'm really excited that we've brought home the biggest trade deal since we left the European Union."

London has been pushing a "Global Britain" strategy since formally severing nearly 50 years of ties with its nearest neighbours in the European Union three years ago.

Sunday's signing at a CPTPP meeting in Auckland was the formal confirmation of the agreement for UK membership after nearly two years of talks.

The government said it will cut tariffs for UK exports to CPTPP countries, which with UK membership will have a combined GDP of £12 trillion ($15.7 trillion), and account for 15 percent of global GDP.

It will give British businesses trade access to a market of more than 500 million people and access to the wider region, it added.

The agreement is expected to come into force in the second half of next year, after parliamentary scrutiny and legislation.

- Mixed reception -

UK accession to the CPTPP -- the successor to a previous trans-Pacific trade pact that the United States withdrew from in 2017 under president Donald Trump -- has, however, been met with a mixed reception.

For Brexit supporters, it has been seen as a chance for the UK to join other trading blocs with faster-growing economies than those closer to home -- and boost the country's international geopolitical and economic clout.

But critics say it will struggle to compensate for the economic damage sustained by leaving the 27-member EU -- the world's largest trading bloc and collective economy.

The UK already has trade deals with 10 of the 11 other CPTPP members, and analysts estimate the eventual economic boost to the country is £1.8 billion ($2.2 billion) -- a 0.08 percent annual GDP increase.

The government's spending watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, in April forecast that London's Brexit deal with Brussels will reduce long-term productivity by 4.0 percent compared to when the UK was a member.

A key UK government pledge to sign a prized free-trade deal with the United States remains elusive, and Badenoch assessed the chances of securing one currently were "very low".

"It all depends on the administration... Lots of countries have been looking to have a free trade agreement with the US, including us, but for now, they've said that's not something that they want to do," she added.

In the absence of a deal, the UK has signed trade agreements with US states North Carolina, South Carolina and Indiana.

It is also seeking closer trading partnerships with US powerhouses California and Texas, and is in discussions with Utah and Oklahoma.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for CPTPP 

 

UK and Japan Unveil Massive Offshore Wind Trade Deals

File image courtesy Scottish Enterprise

PUBLISHED MAY 22, 2023 10:20 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

The UK’s renewable energy sector has received a major boost after leading Japanese corporations committed to multi-billion investment deals in Britain’s offshore wind industry. The announcement came as the UK Prime Minister hosted a business reception event in Tokyo last week, geared towards expanding the UK-Japan trade relationship.

The new investments include funding for offshore wind, low carbon hydrogen and other clean energy projects from Marubeni. The leading Japanese trading house said it would sign an MoU with UK government laying out about $12 billion in investment over the next 10 years, including in offshore wind in Scotland and green hydrogen projects in Wales and Scotland.

Sumitomo Corporation, one of the largest general trading companies in Japan, also committed to expand its UK offshore wind projects. This will involve a total investment of $4.9 billion in projects off the coasts of Suffolk and Norfolk, alongside its partners. Sumitomo will also build a high voltage cable manufacturing plant in the Scottish Highlands, bringing more than $250 million in investment and creating 150 skilled green jobs.

Japanese companies are major investors in UK offshore wind and other clean energy technologies. At the same time, UK companies have developed considerable experience on development and deployment of offshore wind and other renewables, and are now bringing that expertise to the Japanese market. In fact, at the same reception last week, several of the UK’s renewable energy companies signed multi-million dollar projects in Japanese and Asian markets.

UK company Octopus Energy committed to invest $1.8 billion in the Asia-Pacific energy market by 2027, helping speed up the region’s transition to a cleaner and smarter energy system. Additionally, leveraging on its existing Asian headquarters, Octopus will channel $373 million to expand its tech innovation and energy retail hub in Tokyo.

UK consultancy Mott MacDonald also secured a major contract to help develop a state-of-the-art offshore wind farm in western Japan, which could power more than 175,000 homes with clean energy.

“These new investments are a massive vote of confidence in the UK’s dynamic economy, from some of Japan’s top firms. It is also great to see leading UK businesses seizing the huge opportunities for growth and collaboration in Japan. As we grow our trade ties further and join the huge regional Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade bloc, the sky is the limit for British and Japanese businesses and entrepreneurs,” said UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Rising Costs Prompt Equinor to Pull Plug on Floating Wind Project

Equinor's platform-based floating offshore wind technology (Equinor)

PUBLISHED MAY 22, 2023 11:09 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Norwegian state oil company Equinor has pulled the plug on a floating wind-to-platform power project on the Norwegian continental shelf, citing rising costs. 

In June 2022, Equinor joined with Petoro, TotalEnergies, Shell and ConocoPhillips to pursue the design of a floating wind farm in the area around the Troll oil field, about 30 nm off the coast of Bergen. The development concept called for a 1 GW floating wind farm linked to a shoreside substation. The power would help feed the nearby Troll and Oseberg offshore oil platforms, which are already linked to the grid near the same location Using that connection, the platform operators would buy as much of Trollvind's power as possible, giving it a built-in "market" for its power at a commercially viable price point.

At the time, Equinor CEO Anders Opedal said that Trollvind would help cut emissions through electrification, deliver more green power to a region that was experiencing shortages, and help Norway cement its leadership in floating offshore wind. However, even the best of plans can be put on hold by inflation and supply chain challenges. According to Equinor, rising costs in the offshore wind industry have undercut the goal to complete Trollvind without support, and "it is no longer a commercially sustainable project." Additionally, the project team had to make technical changes because of the preferred technology for the wind farm "not being available." 

"Trollvind was a bold industrial plan to solve pressing issues concerning electrification of oil and gas installations, bringing much needed power to the Bergen-area, while accelerating floating offshore wind power in Norway. Unfortunately, we no longer see a way forward to deliver on our original concept of having an operational wind farm well before 2030,” says Siri Espedal Kindem, vice president of renewables Norway.

As Kindem suggested, the project's challenges were also stacked up against a tight deadline. In 2020, Norway set an emissions-intensity reduction target for its oil and gas operators, asking for a 40-50 percent cut by 2030. Achieving that cut will require platform electrification and new sources of green power. While Trollvind was designed to help meet this requirement, it has not achieved enough maturity as a project to reach implementation by the deadline, further reducing its attractiveness. 

Equinor said that it would continue to look for future opportunities in the floating wind sector, which it pioneered through the development of the Hywind Scotland and Hywind Tampen projects. 

The cancellation marks a new setback for Equinor's floating-wind ambitions. The firm lost out of the bidding in the massive ScotWind lease round in November 2021; it proposed a large-scale, one-gigawatt floating development, similar in size to Trollvind, but the offer was not accepted. "We are going to compete fiercely going forward," EVP for renewables Pal Eitrheim told Energy Voice after the auction. 

Catch-22: Canada's attempts to phase out fossil fuel might result in it paying the polluters

Kyla Tienhaara, Canada Research Chair in Economy and Environment, Queen's University, Ontario
Mon, May 22, 2023 

US$20 billion: That’s how much American investors think Canadian taxpayers should fork over to compensate them for their failed bid to develop a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Québec.

That’s almost a fifth of the province’s total budget for this year.

Ruby River Capital LLC, the U.S.-based owner of GNL Québec Inc., filed a claim against Canada under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) after its Énergie Saguenay project failed to pass a federal environmental impact assessment.

The proposed LNG terminal had already been rejected by the Québec government over concerns that it would increase greenhouse gas emissions and negatively impact First Nations and marine mammals.

Canada faces a no-win situation — a catch-22. If the government does not rapidly phase out fossil fuels, it will fail to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement to address the climate crisis. But when it takes steps to do so, foreign investors invoke international trade and investment agreements like NAFTA and threaten to drain public coffers.

Paying the polluters

Unlike environmental treaties, trade and investment agreements have teeth. They are enforceable through a system known as Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) that allows foreign investors to bypass local courts and bring claims for monetary compensation to a panel of three arbitrators. More than 1,200 ISDS cases have been launched against governments around the world in the last 25 years.

Read more: World Bank ruling against Pakistan shows global economic governance is broken

Between 1996 and 2018, Canada was sued more than 40 times by American investors through the investment chapter in NAFTA. To date, Canada has lost or settled (with compensation) 10 claims. Canadian governments have paid out more than $263 million in damages and settlements.

When NAFTA was replaced in 2018 with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), it did not include an ISDS mechanism between Canada and the U.S. Chrystia Freeland, the then-deputy prime minister of Canada, noted at the time that the removal of ISDS “strengthened our government’s right to regulate in the public interest, to protect public health and the environment.”

Ruby River was only able to launch its case because USMCA allowed firms that had made investments before NAFTA’s termination — on July 1, 2020, — to continue to bring ISDS claims for three years — until June 30, 2023.

Importantly, Ruby River spent only about CDN$165 million on the Énergie Saguenay project proposal. However, the firm is permitted within the ISDS system to seek “lost future profits” based on speculation about the performance of notoriously volatile oil and gas markets.

Risks to climate policy

Québec is a member of the global Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance and is the first jurisdiction in the world to ban all oil and gas production. The province is being sued over this ban by several fossil fuel firms — seeking more compensation than was offered — in Québec’s Superior Court.

Had these companies been foreign, and thereby qualified for the protection of an investment treaty, they likely would have chosen ISDS instead. This is because ISDS generally provides broader scope for claims — and larger awards — than domestic courts.




Other jurisdictions need to follow Québec’s lead. The global carbon budget has no room for new coal, oil or gas developments. Construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure also needs to be limited, as it would lock in continued extraction long into the future.

Despite clear messages to this effect from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the International Energy Agency, investors continue to propose new fossil fuel projects. They do so in full knowledge that governments need to act to curb emissions in line with their international commitments and that future climate policies may negatively impact their investments.

Allowing these companies to demand billions in compensation creates moral hazard and could dampen necessary policy action.

Read more: A secretive legal system lets fossil fuel investors sue countries over policies to keep oil and gas in the ground – podcast

Governments are increasingly aware of this risk and many are taking action. The European Union is seeking to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty, the largest investment treaty in the world, because it “is not aligned with the Paris Agreement, the EU Climate Law or the objectives of the European Green Deal.”

The Biden administration is committed to not signing up to new agreements with ISDS and a number of Democrats are calling for the removal of the mechanism from existing deals. Other countries such as Australia and New Zealand have worked to exclude ISDS from some of their trade agreements.

Future threats

Canada will soon escape from the legacy of NAFTA. However, the government remains exposed to the threat of ISDS through other trade agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), as well as dozens of bilateral investment treaties.

When the U.K. officially joins the CPTPP, the risk of ISDS claims from fossil fuel firms will increase dramatically.

The idea that public finance, desperately needed for the energy transition and climate adaptation, will be redirected to compensate fossil fuel firms currently making record profits is offensive.

In light of the increasing body of evidence that documents how the industry has actively obstructed climate action and helped to spread disinformation about climate science, it is communities impacted by climate change that should be compensated by fossil fuel firms, not the other way around.

The Canadian government should adopt a consistent approach to ISDS. The exclusion of ISDS from USMCA should be emulated in any future agreements, and Canada should work with treaty partners to remove access to the system in all current ones.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters.

It was written by: Kyla Tienhaara, Queen's University, Ontario.

Read more:


Coastal GasLink and Canada’s pension fund colonialism


A bridge to nowhere: Natural gas will not lead Canada to a sustainable energy future

Kyla Tienhaara receives funding from the Canada Research Chairs Program and SSHRC (Government of Canada). She collaborates with and provides pro bono advice for a number of non-profit organizations working on climate and investment issues.