From today’s Open Europe news summary:
“German conservative MP Gunther Krichbaum – who chairs the Bundestag’s EU Affairs Committee – has warned that the UK “won’t be able to survive” outside the EU, citing the reintroduction of tariffs on British exports in the event of Brexit.”
Herr Krichbaum has revealed more about the EU than he intended. The EU is a closed protectionist bloc; it allows free trade within its borders but imposes high tariffs and quotas on goods and services from countries lying outside its borders. The purpose of such a system is to restrict, rather than expand trade, in order to mollify politically powerful internal economic groups. Its purpose is NOT to allow EU citizens free access to the goods and services of the rest of the world.
Should the UK leave the EU, it may well face high tariffs on its potential exports to the EU. If so, it should NOT reciprocate and impose high tariffs on imports from the EU. The UK should adopt unilateral free trade. No nation can control the internal economic politics of other countries. All any country can do is trade freely with the world.
Pat Barron
