{"id":199091,"date":"2019-02-20T14:32:16","date_gmt":"2019-02-20T09:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=199091"},"modified":"2019-02-23T23:54:26","modified_gmt":"2019-02-23T18:24:26","slug":"free-trade-a-weapon-to-bring-nations-to-heel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/free-trade-a-weapon-to-bring-nations-to-heel\/","title":{"rendered":"Free Trade: A Weapon To Bring Nations To Heel?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Mano Ratwatte<\/a>\u00a0 \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Mano Ratwatte<\/p><\/div>\n

“Human Rights” and “Humanitarian concerns” are very selective powerful tools for powerful nations, to be selectively administered to control nations. Add to that the weapon called Free trade. For example, the American strongman President Trump is only concerned about trade from an American perspective.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No matter how much breast thumping and flowery words their State Department officials may engage in, fact of the matter is Strongman President Trump has scuttled TPP1<\/sup>(the same diplomats were praising TPP under Obama and their social media was actively singing praises of TPP and JCPOA2<\/sup> during Obama\u2019s time; now they have to sing the opposite to keep their jobs), got out of the Paris climate change accord, scuttled NAFTA3<\/sup> and slammed tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada. Wilbur Ross, the Secretary of commerce will soon engage India in the same trade war. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The US has a goods and services trade deficit with India which was $27.3 billion in 2017.(USTR.GOV); which is relatively small, compared to their massive\u00a0 <\/span>goods and services trade deficit with China which was $335.4 billion in 2017 and reportedly at $222.6Billion.. Strongman Trump\u2019s tariffs resulted in counter tariffs by China; those tariffs hurt the US farmers mostly and those are ironically Trump voters! US ended up with unsold stocks of soya beans after China retaliated by (China is the world\u2019s largest soy buyer) moving to other buyers.<\/p>\n

In contrast, Sri Lanka is\u00a0 <\/span>the 70th largest trading partner with USA, and it only has a 2.5Billion dollar surplus in bilateral trade with USA; that too can be used as a weapon with threats to impose tariffs on Sri Lankan exports to USA if Sri Lanka does not abide by its demands. US is increasingly coveting a semi-permanent military presence in South Asia. Trincomalee is ideal for them; it is the 4th<\/sup> largest natural harbour in the world, where the British imperial fleet moved, when Singapore fell to the Japanese in the most humiliating surrender-defeat of Sri Lanka\u2019s former Colonial masters; they were commanded by a mediocre uncharismatic General called Percival who stupidly did not think the Japanese will invade from the North and had almost all his guns trained on the ocean. This writer just loves WW-II history. Sorry for digressing<\/p>\n

That is the reality. Sri Lanka has no oil like Saudi Arabia which got away chopping up a top journalist. It is now engaging in a massive diplomatic spending spree just giving $20Billion to Imran Khan\u2019s Pakistan as aid.\u00a0 <\/span>Sri Lanka cannot afford to annoy Saudi Arabia either. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

USA does not utter a peep about the massive human rights and crimes in Yemen where US weapons are reported to be the biggest cause of massive civilian deaths; there is a proxy war going on between Sunni Arab Saudi Arabia and Shia Persian Iran there. Energy politics, and security interests take precedence over human rights.<\/p>\n

In Venezuela, bungling militaristic Socialist Dictators late Hugo Chavez and Maduro now has created economic chaos in once the most prosperous nations in Latin America. A great example of where State controlled socialism does not work even if the ideals of social equity are to be admired. Chavez instituted well-meaning socially equitable policies and went on a massive socialist spending spree; the problem was the government assumed oil prices were going to be in the $100-$140\/bbl range forever. No. When Oil prices slid down low, they could not sustain the same levels of spending. It created massive chaos. In addition, Venezuela decided to foolishly strike out against US business interests in their oil industry. Remember Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world. But now it is caught in the China debt trap too. Enter rescuer in white robes, the great Strongman Trump who is \u201cdeeply concerned\u201d<cough> about Venezuela and its people because of oil; otherwise he would be concerned about other capitalist struggling drug infested Latino nations too and want to intervene and help those people too. But Guatemala, Bolivia, El Salvador etc do not have oil.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The top five source countries of\u00a0U.S.<\/b>\u00a0petroleum imports in\u00a02017<\/b>\u00a0were Canada, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Venezuela, and Iraq. \u00a0<\/span> Mexico has lots of oil and is the one of\u00a0 <\/span>largest exporters of oil to USA, but it is a capitalist nation torn by narco-terrorism and in denial. Mexico isn\u2019t a candidate for military intervention by the US.\u00a0 <\/span>Orchestrated media publicity is about Venezuela and about their plights, broadcast daily by corporate so called free media.\u00a0 <\/span>While Strongman Trump has stopped temporary stays for most Latin American nationals, it has just issued one for Venezuelans in USA.<\/p>\n

US can do a lot more damage to Sri Lanka by tariffs if Sri Lanka does not go along with US desires vis-a-vis Trincomalee, more access to military facilities and basically join its group in the long term protracted tug-o-war with China. In the UNP regime it has a willing partner, the US will like remaining in power for a long time.<\/p>\n

The phrase “Indo-Pacific” is a recent concept coined during the Obama regime. Strongman Trump will further extend American interests.\u00a0 Also remember Strongman Trump can scuttle any international agreement as he sees fit with impunity: that is what he did with JPA\u00a0 <\/span>despite vehement EU protests against scuttling it. The US rift with Europe is growing. Putin maama is very happy.<\/p>\n

Venezuela, and Iran are on their targets for regime change. Whether it will end up like the disaster Obama-Hillary created in Libya remains to be seen. But US and Israel see a direct Iranian threat to Israel; that is unacceptable.<\/p>\n

The Following excerpt is verbatim from USTR.COM<\/i><\/p>\n

Sri Lanka is currently our 70th largest goods trading partner with $3.2 billion in total (two way) goods trade during 2017. Goods exports totaled $336 million; goods imports totaled $2.9 billion. The U.S. goods trade deficit with Sri Lanka was $2.5 billion in 2017.<\/i><\/p>\n

According to the Department of Commerce, U.S. exports of goods to Sri Lanka supported an estimated 2 thousand jobs in 2015 (latest data available).<\/i><\/p>\n

Imports from Sri Lanka<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Sri Lanka was the United States’ 62nd largest supplier of goods imports in 2017. U.S. goods imports from Sri Lanka totaled $2.9 billion in 2017, up 2.7% ($76 million) from 2016, and up 38.4% from 2007.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

The top import categories (2-digit HS) in 2017 were: knit apparel ($1.1 billion), woven apparel ($880 million), rubber ($258 million), precious metal and stone (other stones not strung) ($109 million), and coffee, tea & spice ($77 million).<\/i><\/p>\n

U.S. total imports of agricultural products from Sri Lanka totaled $195 million in 2017. Leading categories include: tea, including herb ($40 million), spices ($40 million), tropical oils ($24 million), tree nuts ($23 million), and essential oils ($17 million). \u2013End Excerpt<\/i><\/p>\n

Sri Lanka will have no choice but to juggle so called non-aligned stance with a bit of “ehei haamudurowaney; hondamai Sir, we will bend over ” to the USA in the near future if it is to avoid pressures on Human rights, war crimes or trade. China and India will not buy Sri Lankan exports including Victoria’s secret, the way the USA does.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

US is the biggest most lucrative consumer market for almost all developing nations including Sri Lanka’s competitors like Bangladesh and Vietnam.\u00a0 <\/span>Human rights, Humanitarian concerns, Trade are all effective weapons of powerful nations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Even Russia engages in that with rest of Europe with their natural gas exports to Western Europe. What\u2019s to be done men? Aiyo.<\/p>\n

1. Trans Pacific Partnership<\/em><\/p>\n

2. JCPOA : Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action<\/em><\/p>\n

3. NAFTA : North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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