[Draft] World Assembly Agreement on Trade

[Sciongrad]

Category: Free Trade | Strength: Strong | Proposed by: Sciongrad

The World Assembly,

Reaffirming its commitments to raising the standard of living, promoting wage growth, and ensuring full employment in all member nations through promoting the free trade of goods and services and eliminating trade barriers,

Recognizing the extreme hazard posed to national populations by such barriers,

Resolved to create expanded markets for goods and services produced in the territories of member nations,

1. Promotes the exchange of goods between member nations;

2. Instructs all member states to abolish all quotas, subsidies, tariffs and other protectionist measures with immediate effect, and instructs the International Trade Agency to enforce and supervise this abolition, and ensure that no Member State establishes any such protectionist devices, except where such devices are established as provided under the exceptions listed below;

3. Permits member states to impose protectionist devices where

1. the free trade in any good or goods may cause an unacceptable risk to public health, or the health of native animals or plants
2. goods that would ordinarily be freely traded should not be exported because they are defined by national law as items of historical, artistic, archaeological or other national importance, such that they should remain in the nation of origin;

4. Reserves to member nations the right to place retaliatory tariffs on non-member nations.

Co-authored by: Thyerata

[Tinfect]

Reaffirming its commitments to raising the standard of living, promoting wage growth, and ensuring full employment in all member nations through promoting the free trade of goods and services and eliminating trade barriers,

"Those goals and methods are contradictory, Ambassador."

Recognizing the extreme hazard posed to national populations by such barriers,

"Of which, none exist."

2. Instructs the International Trade Agency to liaise with relevant officials from members nations in order to negotiate the gradual removal of all imposts, duties, tariffs and other protectionist devices on goods and services produced within member nations;

"It is not the place of the World Assembly to enforce your economic ideology.

In short, the Imperium is opposed. Unless you can prove that opening Imperial markets to foreign intervention will somehow aid the Imperium, this will not change. Do keep in mind that all attempts at such have failed."

[Excidium Planetis]

"As a nation that relies on protectionist tariffs for our economy, there is no way Excidium Planetis can support this draft." Schultz states.

"Unless," Blackbourne interjects quickly, "You add in a clause that mandates nations engage in international trade with other member nations or requires nations to eliminate complete prohibition of trading, or skmething to that effect. I must admit I am not sure of the best way to do this, but Excidium Planetis will most certainly support this proposal if you can find a way to actively promote international trade, rather than passively promoting it in the first clause."

[Bananaistan]

"We would point out that it is not unreasonable for member nations to restrict the importation of goods and services which do not meet quality and welfare standards set out in local law. It would be incredibly unfair for the WA to demand that member states should have to implement an unlevel playing field which would unfairly disadvantage local producers, manufacturers and providers who must apply local standards while foreign producers, manufacturers and providers who must only meet international standards are granted access to domestic markets without also having to meet the local standards. We would also note that the under GAR#209, World Assembly Trade Rights, member states are already guaranteed this right."

- Ted Hornwood

[Imperium Anglorum]

PARSONS: Like usual, on economic matters, we disagree with our colleagues from Tinfect.

[Umeria]

relevant officials from members nations

"That should probably be 'member nations'.'"

protectionist devices on good and services

"And that should be changed to 'goods and services'."

negotiate the gradual removal of all imposts, duties, tariffs and other protectionist devices

"So, it has to be negotiated, but does it have to be implemented? Also, where do you draw the line between gradual removal and procrastination?"

[Shazbotdom]

"How it is in the place of the World Assembly to tell nations that they can or cannot place Tariffs on other nations, be it Member Nations or not? We oppose this Legislation."

[Sierra Lyricalia]

"I have to concur with Mr. Hornwood. We cannot support this in its current form; the most glaring issue being that where we judge, say, international labor or environmental protections to be inadequate or substandard compared to ours, or to those of any nation we care to do business with, we'd be unable to hold potential trading partners to basic standards. GAR 209 at least allows us to make our own judgment of what consitutes a "significant disparity" in such standards. We will not be forced into bed with those who test WA limits, for so-called 'free' trade or for any other reason."

[Separatist Peoples]

"I have to concur with Mr. Hornwood. We cannot support this in its current form; the most glaring issue being that where we judge, say, international labor or environmental protections to be inadequate or substandard compared to ours, or to those of any nation we care to do business with, we'd be unable to hold potential trading partners to basic standards. GAR 209 at least allows us to make our own judgment of what consitutes a "significant disparity" in such standards. We will not be forced into bed with those who test WA limits, for so-called 'free' trade or for any other reason."

"We find this a most convincing argument. Currently, exerting economic pressure is the best method available to punish those who would systemically disregard WA resolutions. Legal pressure is impossible, thanks to On Universal Jurisdiction. War between member states is restricted to consensual declarations that a rouge state is unlikely to agree to, and armed conflict that nonetheless isn't war is, except for the most heinous of violations, a disproportionate use of destructive force. Considering even the best forecasts on the future political landscape of the GA have serious limitations on the use of interstate conflict, we would prefer to maintain a measure of economic "big stick" at our disposal."

[Excidium Planetis]

War between member states is restricted to consensual declarations that a rouge state is unlikely to agree to,

"What does the color of the state have to do with whether or not they would be likely to declare war?"

[Free Tristania]

"As a nation that relies on tariffs in order to protect local industry and to ensure our own economic growth, we cannot possibly support this proposal." The Free Tristanian ambassador to the WA, Jean-Éric Dubois- de Villepin, sits down again.

[Separatist Peoples]

War between member states is restricted to consensual declarations that a rouge state is unlikely to agree to,

"What does the color of the state have to do with whether or not they would be likely to declare war?"

"Rouge is the color of passion, blood, and, symbolically, fire, which describes the hotheaded nature of those states that have gone rogue."

OOC: I have noticed there is something of a habit of trusting autocorrect at a glance that I, especially, am susceptible to when posting on-the-go.*

* Translation - I fucking hate my autocorrect.

[Communal Ecotopia]

"I have to concur with Mr. Hornwood. We cannot support this in its current form; the most glaring issue being that where we judge, say, international labor or environmental protections to be inadequate or substandard compared to ours, or to those of any nation we care to do business with, we'd be unable to hold potential trading partners to basic standards. GAR 209 at least allows us to make our own judgment of what consitutes a "significant disparity" in such standards. We will not be forced into bed with those who test WA limits, for so-called 'free' trade or for any other reason."

We too must oppose largely on the same grounds as Sierra Lyricalia . How would you prevent a race to the labor and environmental standards bottom?

[Sciongrad]

"We would point out that it is not unreasonable for member nations to restrict the importation of goods and services which do not meet quality and welfare standards set out in local law. It would be incredibly unfair for the WA to demand that member states should have to implement an unlevel playing field which would unfairly disadvantage local producers, manufacturers and providers who must apply local standards while foreign producers, manufacturers and providers who must only meet international standards are granted access to domestic markets without also having to meet the local standards. We would also note that the under GAR#209, World Assembly Trade Rights, member states are already guaranteed this right."

"Firstly, thank you for your comments. But, we will remind you (and the other ambassadors that have concurred with you) that this resolution specifically allows protectionist devices to be placed on goods that do not meet certain quality standards, that come from states that violate human rights, or from states that violate certain environmental standards, provided those protectionist devices are applied equally to all violating states equally.

The exporter of a given product is in violation of extant or future international legislation on human rights, environmental standards, or quality standards, provided such protectionist devices are assigned proportionally to all exporters that violate the aforementioned legislation,

Unless we've misunderstood your concerns?"

EDIT: "Ricardo has clarified your concern for me. We will happily modify the clause to accommodate local or national environmental and quality standards, provided the tariffs are applied uniformly."

[States of Glory WA Office]

2. Instructs the International Trade Agency to liaise with relevant officials from members nations in order to negotiate the gradual removal of all imposts, duties, tariffs and other protectionist devices on goods and services produced within member nations;

Neville: I believe that it's the International Trade Administration, Ambassador Santos.

Fairburn: Yes, because we can't possibly have agencies and administrations mixed up! It just won't do!

[Tinfect]

"The position of the Imperium remains unchanged. The World Assembly is not a vessel by which you may enforce your economic ideology, that your Government would prefer to subvert the goals of the World Assembly so as to promote its interests shows only that is a prime example of the corruption and degeneracy permitted and promoted by your ideologies."

[Bananaistan]

"Leaving aside the problem with foisting a particular economic ideology on all member states, isn't this still just a duplication of GAR#209?

"Regarding clause 3b which currently refers to the exporter. Is this the exporting nation, or some agent who organises the transport, or the manufacturer, or the haulier who brings the goods across international borders, etc? We currently restrict imports from nations who do not have both equivalent quality standards to ours as well as incredibly strong inspection regimes ensuring that the quality standards set out in law are met in practice. We have no intention of changing this and sending over our own inspectors to check up on factories or trucks or offices in other nations.

"I also believe that the extreme hazard to national populations has not been adequately demonstrated to anyone who does not view such issues through the eyes of a capitalist/free trade fundamentalist. I'm sure the representatives of Tinfect will insist that there is no extreme hazard to their population due to their economic system.

"We regret that even if the legality issues are sorted, we will have no choice to oppose this. Laissez faire free trade is not and should not be the goal of this assembly. Nor should it seek to prevent member nations from forming their own exclusionary free trade groups if they so wish."

- Ted Hornwood

[Bears Armed]

the exporter of a given product is in violation of extant or future international legislation

"As currently worded, wouldn't this require member nation's governments to possess precognitive abilities?"

Artorrios o SouthWoods,
ChairBear, Bears Armed Mission at the World Assembly.

[States of Glory WA Office]

the exporter of a given product is in violation of extant or future international legislation

"As currently worded, wouldn't this require member nation's governments to possess precognitive abilities?"

Fairburn: Ambassador Santa appears to be inept in the proper use of language, unless she actually wishes us to be able to predict the future.

Neville: We suggest removing the words 'extant or future'.

[Sciongrad]

the exporter of a given product is in violation of extant or future international legislation

"As currently worded, wouldn't this require member nation's governments to possess precognitive abilities?"

Fairburn: Ambassador Santa appears to be inept in the proper use of language, unless she actually wishes us to be able to predict the future.

Neville: We suggest removing the words 'extant or future'.

"Why? The meaning is quite exact. Legislation that is extant (i.e., currently exists) or legislation that will be passed (i.e., may or may not exist in the future)."

Natalia sat up and began to speak into the microphone. "Sciongrad plans on reviving this draft, so as to ensure that many inhabitants of member nations living under tyranny can finally experience the freedom of free-market capitalism, exactly as Hayek God intended."

[Araraukar]

Natalia sat up and began to speak into the microphone. "Sciongrad plans on reviving this draft, so as to ensure that many inhabitants of member nations living under tyranny can finally experience the freedom of free-market capitalism, exactly as Hayek God intended."

OOC: What exactly was the rules decision on that ideology ban thing...?

IC: God? You talk of freeing people from tyranny and then invoke a children's story used to scare the people into submitting to another kind of tyranny. Also, what exactly is the "extreme hazard posed to national populations by such barriers"?

Also OOC: Would this only influence international trading on the national/corporational/business level? Or also if, to use a RL example, I ordered something from the USA, and, being a private EU citizen, have to pay more for my purchase (not counting shipping costs) due to duties/taxes placed on imports from outside the EU? Because if also the latter, then it would likely meddle with internal taxation (value added tax most likely) of the nations.

[Thyerata]

Given that this resolution basically does what my draft wanted to do, but about 100 times better, I'm content to abandon my draft in support of this.

Yours etc.

[Aclionian Mission]

OOC: It was my understanding that mandates had to be immediate in effect, as the effects of the resolutions are immediate upon passage.

Also OOC: If, to use a RL example, I ordered something from the USA, and, being a private EU citizen, have to pay more for my purchase (not counting shipping costs) due to duties/taxes placed on imports from outside the EU? Because if also the latter, then it would likely meddle with internal taxation (value added tax most likely) of the nations.

I'm at a loss as to why taxing imports from outside the EU is internal taxation.

[Araraukar]

OOC: I'm at a loss as to why taxing imports from outside the EU is internal taxation.

OOC: Oh, you're doing this WA mission thing also? Because of what resolution? The patent one? And VAT is applied to all purchases within the EU, but the purchase made from a business outside the EU gets the tax added to it precisely because it is from outside of EU, which would probably make it count under the proposal at hand. Insert "federal-something" instead of EU if it makes you feel better, since EU is technically made up of independent nationstates that each have their own taxation models...

[Jarish Inyo]

Opposed. We use duties, tariffs and other protectionist devices on goods and services to fund all the WA welfare programs within our boarders.