EU initiates process to withdraw Cambodia’s trade preferences

[geovalin]

The European Union officially notified Cambodia yesterday that the procedure for the withdrawal of its preferential trade treatment under the ‘Everything but Arms’ (EBA) scheme had already “been launched”. Writing in the European Commission’s official blog, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said she and EU High Representative Federica Mogherini had notified Cambodia yesterday (Friday) that the EU was launching the process for the withdrawal of their EBA preferences.

 

“Without clear and evident improvements on the ground, this will lead to the suspending of the trade preferences that they [Cambodia] currently enjoy,” wrote Ms Malmstrom. “In Cambodia, meanwhile, we are seeing very troubling developments with a clear deterioration of human rights and labour rights, without convincing improvements in sight,” she added.

 

“Our recent EU mission to the country demonstrated serious and systemic violations of, for instance, freedom of expression, labour rights and freedom of association. This comes on top of longstanding issues as regards workers’ rights and land-grabbing.” Ms Malmstrom pointed out that Cambodia benefitted from the EBA, which guarantees completely tariff-free access to the European market for all exports except for weapons and ammunition.

 

read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/540068/eu-initiates-process-to-withdraw-cambodias-trade-preferences/

 

 

-- © Copyright Khmer Times 08/10

[sawadee1947]

Good work EU. The Power of Big community. It will be painful for Cambodia 

[yellowboat]

As much as that government deserves a good thumping, you wonder if that just won't make China that much more appealing.  It is the humble Khmer that needs to be considered too. 

[Scouse123]

31 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

As much as that government deserves a good thumping, you wonder if that just won't make China that much more appealing.  It is the humble Khmer that needs to be considered too. 

 

I see your point and catch your drift but I cannot see China filling the void of purchasing these garments and footwear exports amounting to billions of Dollars when they can produce the stuff themselves cheaper in China. Also, with the labour unions pushing for increased wages year on year, Cambodia unfortunately, will start losing out to South American countries in the forms of cheaper labour. Angkor Wat tourism cannot support a whole nation or has Hun Sen forgot that.

 

He pushes the envelope as far as he can as often as he can, and one wonders that he may have just pushed it too far this time. It takes quite a lot to rile the EU, and they are not known for knee-jerk reactions, but they have consistently been warning him about the directions he has been taking the country in at the expense of freedoms and human rights.

 

Most of us know full well that China never does anything for any country without good reason, and the soft loans always come back to bite them on the backside at a later date.

 

In the meantime, China floods these countries with cheap labour and materials from China, of course. So, it's really a 'sleight of hand ' merry go round with money.

[Ulic]

6 hours ago, yellowboat said:

As much as that government deserves a good thumping, you wonder if that just won't make China that much more appealing.  It is the humble Khmer that needs to be considered too. 

I doubt you will. Now China is less likely to move manufacturing from China to Cambodia to escape Trump's tariffs because they will not be able to export to the EU. The US could follow the EU soon as well. I doubt Cambodia sends much manufactured goods to China. Just rice and other food stuffs.

Edited October 8, 2018 by Ulic

[Redline]

7 hours ago, yellowboat said:

As much as that government deserves a good thumping, you wonder if that just won't make China that much more appealing.  It is the humble Khmer that needs to be considered too. 

Then it would be China buying from China~China needs to by it's own products, so Cambodia will be on its own, when China has used it up

[Scouse123]

4 hours ago, Ulic said:

I doubt you will. Now China is less likely to move manufacturing from China to Cambodia to escape Trump's tariffs because they will not be able to export to the EU. The US could follow the EU soon as well. I doubt Cambodia sends much manufactured goods to China. Just rice and other food stuffs.

He has one chance and is famous for doing it, and that is to backtrack on a lot of his policies now that he has got his own way and won the sham elections.

 

I don't even think he is THAT stupid to try and take on the USA and the EU when he knows that is the country's major export market and they don't give a damn about any little tin-pot dictator as they have seen it all before. He is trying to act and compare his actions and words with China.

 

He has made big statements and borrowed phrases from the Chinese mantra, such as ' not getting involved in the internal affairs of another country ' and ' Cambodia will not go on its knees to the West '  this is all well and good, but what we have here is a country that has begged, pleaded and lived off the generosity of the West for decades and he is now trying or attempting to be high-handed and to quote the old idiom ' biting the hand that feeds him '

 

The West is purely defending the working poor and those who cannot stand up for themselves against a tyrant.

[phycokiller]

On 10/8/2018 at 2:20 PM, Scouse123 said:

 

I see your point and catch your drift but I cannot see China filling the void of purchasing these garments and footwear exports amounting to billions of Dollars when they can produce the stuff themselves cheaper in China. Also, with the labour unions pushing for increased wages year on year, Cambodia unfortunately, will start losing out to South American countries in the forms of cheaper labour. Angkor Wat tourism cannot support a whole nation or has Hun Sen forgot that.

 

He pushes the envelope as far as he can as often as he can, and one wonders that he may have just pushed it too far this time. It takes quite a lot to rile the EU, and they are not known for knee-jerk reactions, but they have consistently been warning him about the directions he has been taking the country in at the expense of freedoms and human rights.

 

Most of us know full well that China never does anything for any country without good reason, and the soft loans always come back to bite them on the backside at a later date.

 

In the meantime, China floods these countries with cheap labour and materials from China, of course. So, it's really a 'sleight of hand ' merry go round with money.

exactly, and I have noticed the last few months there are already a lot more people sleeping on the streets and resorting to crime. maybe thats just the low season but this doesnt look promising to me