EU to US: what happened to the free market?

摘要

According to a leaked document on negotiations between the US and EU over a potential trade deal-the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, specifically-Old World officials are keen to see the US relax its restrictions on shipping domestic crude overseas. In the document, which was dated May 27 but became public only recendy, EU officials complained that the US has "been hesitant to discuss a solution for US export restrictions on natural gas and crude oil," appealing to the sort of free-market principles to which the US has traditionally been opposed-at least when it comes to exports from other countries. "The EU and me US have been at the forefront of challenging export restrictions for the last decade, as illustrated by their successful common effort to lift China's export restrictions on raw materials including rare earths," the document read. "Combating resource nationalism, together vis-a-vis third countries, while at the same time allowing for export restrictions to exist between us sends the wrong message to our partners and offers some of these resource-rich countries a great opportunity to interpret trade rules in a way which is detrimental to our economies." The document touched LNG exports as well, arguing mat licenses for shipping both oil and gas must be granted "automatically and expeditiously," in order to send a signal that "will resonate internationally by emphasizing the transadantic commitment to open markets."