Reuters (December 13)
“A final Brexit without a trade deal would damage the economies of Europe, send shockwaves through financial markets, snarl borders and sow chaos through the delicate supply chains across Europe and beyond.” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to extend talks beyond Sunday. “With a succession of deadlines missed, time is now critically short.”
Tags: Borders Chaos, Brexit, Damage, Europe, Financial markets, Johnson, Leyen, Shockwaves, Supply chains, Trade deal, UK
The Guardian (October 2)
“Is there still time for a Brexit trade deal?” Scheduled talks have ended with only 90 days left until the transition period ends. The chances of a deal are now “as finely balanced as the original Brexit vote itself: around 50/50. Big political choices are yet to be made – and the chances of the two sides arguing themselves out of time cannot be ruled out.”
Bloomberg (August 15)
“China has already endured plenty of economic pain, and isn’t as desperate for a trade deal as the U.S. may think.” Trump appeared to panic, extending an olive branch to China. “While Trump may think his olive branch is a big deal, the message to Washington is: Don’t think you’ve got China on the ropes. Xi was panicking a year ago; he can afford to wait now.”
Tags: China, Desperate, Economic pain, Olive branch, Panic, Trade deal, U.S.
Vox (November 15)
Prime Minister Theresa May “and the EU are desperately trying to avoid a no-deal scenario. After months of stalled negotiations, the two sides finally thought they had reached a breakthrough this week that solved some of the thorniest issues of the divorce, and provided for a transition period so they could work out a future trade deal…. But the latest dramatic resignations reveal the obstacles that May faces in finalizing the withdrawal.”
Tags: Breakthrough, Desperate, EU, May, Negotiations, No-deal, Obstacles, Resignations, Trade deal, Transition, Withdrawal
Bloomberg (August 29)
“Brexit is beginning to look like a classic case of a mountain giving birth to a mouse” and, except for losing its say in EU affairs, little is likely to change. “The U.K. will simply lose its vote in the EU. The rest will remain as it is now for an indefinite period during which a new trade deal will be discussed in the standard EU fashion — slowly, deliberately, with each of the 27 EU countries working through its own agenda until there’s a consensus.”
Tags: Agenda, Brexit, Consensus, Deliberate, EU, Slow, Trade deal, UK
The Week (April 19)
“President Trump thinks he has worked out a magnificent ‘deal’ with China.” In reality, “Trump is being played like a fiddle by Chinese President Xi Jinping.” China will be unable to place much additional pressure on North Korea. In return for nothing, “Trump has decided to drop one of the few good ideas of his campaign: renegotiating our trade deal with China so it’s better for the U.S.”
Tags: China, Deal, North Korea, Renegotiating, Trade deal, Trump, U.S., Xi
The Economist (January 28)
The upcoming White House visit by the UK’s Prime Minister will be “a study in awkwardness: the mother superior dropping in on the Playboy Mansion.” Theresa May is not a natural fan of the Donald. “So why is Mrs May hurrying to Washington? Because Brexit compels Britain’s leaders to show that the country has powerful allies.” She “is desperate to line up a Britain-America trade deal that can be closed as soon as Brexit takes place, probably in 2019.”
Tags: Allies, Awkwardness, Brexit, Desperate, Prime minister, Theresa May, Trade deal, UK, Visit, White House
