Charities condemn EU over Thailand trade taxTHE European Uni

mkpdavies · 09-01-2005, 09:59 AM

http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=25472005

Quote:

THE European Union was last night condemned by charities for hiking tariffs on goods from one of the nations devastated by the South-east Asia tidal wave, only days after the disaster struck.

Crippling duties of £2,430 a ton for exports of cumarin, a herb extract widely used in perfume, were imposed on Thailand, where more than 5,000 people were killed when the tsunami hit on Boxing Day.

Quote:

The move, published five days after the huge waves struck, is designed to protect Rhodia, a French chemicals firm and the EU’s only cumarin producer.

But it has been denounced as "criminal" by charities who say it exposes the EU’s hypocrisy in offering aid to Asian countries while raising trade barriers to protect inefficient European manufacturers.

The timing of the announcement will be deeply embarrassing for EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson - who only a fortnight ago argued for lower tariffs to help developing countries.

The EU is criminal full-stop. Glad to see more people are waking up to fact.

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