Final nail in the coffin for Portalbot Tata Steel as China imposes 46% tariff on European steel. Can the British government do anything to save the plant?........ NO ....... because Europe wont allow it to.
In a radio interview, David Davis MP said that the government is restricted from supporting the steel industry or from raising high import tariffs on China by EU rules. So they can't do anything about Tata. I think that we should be able to impose tariffs as we see fit, to help our economy. It only took the U.S. three weeks to agree and enact a law to stop the cheap imports of Chinese steel. We should be able to act like that to protect our industries.
Wrong. It was the British government that opposed attempts by the EU to impose a tariff (quoted elsewhere as being 66%) on Chinese steel....................... http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a8da356a-f753-11e5-96db-fc683b5e52db.html#axzz44fvPPDGn The story broke back in February but was barely reported back then. Nothing to do with the fact that the government was looking to China for cheap finance?
So a French company can build a nuclear power station at Hinkley Point and charge us double the going rate for all the electricity it generates. And are they seeking Chinese finance for HS2 and will then use it to buy all the vast amount of steel required from China?
Good points made about the steel industry. Another thing that makes me want to disassociate with the eu is the horrendous way they're playing with actual lives. Apparently that eu deal with Turkey has resulted in genuine Syrian refugees, includinga group of unaccompanied children, have been forcibly put back into Syria by Turkish authorities. I'm not voting to be part of that.
I reckon that you're catching on! The very heart of this government is "the square mile". As long as the city is happy and policies can be aimed at the core voters then those at the bottom will have to bear the brunt of it.
And then the tax payer can fork out the £1 million a day that it's losing. There aint no easy answer.
Thats a double negative, which means that there is an easy answer. (sorry, only joking, couldn't resist) Personally, I would prefer to see people kept in work and lose money than to pay out dole for them doing nothing, and having no chance of future employment.
The British government isnt allowed to give state aid to the steel industry and it isnt allowed to impose any tariffs as tariffs can only be imposed by Europe. Of course the UK government wont want to annoy its Chinese paymasters but thats a separate matter. The Tata situation is being caused by china dumping steel here and now has the cheek to impose tariffs on euro steel. Another reason Porttalbot cant compete is the massive costs it has for energy in the uk and the business rates doesnt help either.
Remember the 70s We had British rail, British Leyland, British Steel, National coal board. All propped up by tax payers. The French called us the sick man of Europe back then. I see the point about paying unemployment money, but there are no businesses more inefficient than nationalised ones.
I do however I do think Water, Power and Gas should be government run. The Fact that we have to rely on a French company to build us a Nuclear power station is an embarrassment.
