Redburn Praises Free Trade Pact Initiative 6/25/3132
By Corel Malonne, ComStar INN
Speaking before the Senate this week, Exarch Damien Redburn congratulated the
Senators on the apparent success of their Free Trade Initiative. He held up FTI as an
indicator of a “bright future, full of new economic possibilities for -The Republic of
the Sphere and a potential that may even rival the booming decades following [Devlin]
Stone’s Reformation.”
Under the Free Trade Initiative, all import and export tariffs on physical goods are
eliminated between The Republic and signing parties so long as the trade deficit in
either direction remains at twenty percent or less. Services and intellectual properties
are excluded. The Lyran Commonwealth was a strong force behind FTI and the first
beneficiary of the agreement.
Ambassador Amber Steiner-Avanti of the Lyran Commonwealth Diplomatic Corps
called Exarch Redburn’s outlook, “one of forward-thinking and strong direction.”
Not everyone is as sanguine about the developing economic situation, however. A
source close to the Exarch, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, reported that
there is much debate among senior government officials over the value of the Free
Trade Initiative, and that there are some “dark clouds” on the horizon.
“There has been a serious recession looming on the horizon for years,” according to
this source. “We’ve all known about it, including the Exarch. Free trade with the
Lyran Commonwealth is not going to solve that, especially when the trade deficit is
certain to swing against us.”
Republic Senator Lissa Ruchenko (Nationalistic Party—Procyon) disagrees. “The call
to protect local jobs and trades has always been a red herring, thrown out by
isolationist supporters to distract attention away from their real goals. Exarch Redburn
is smart enough and studied enough to know that free trade has always been a
catalyst for economic growth.”
By Corel Malonne, ComStar INN
Speaking before the Senate this week, Exarch Damien Redburn congratulated the
Senators on the apparent success of their Free Trade Initiative. He held up FTI as an
indicator of a “bright future, full of new economic possibilities for -The Republic of
the Sphere and a potential that may even rival the booming decades following [Devlin]
Stone’s Reformation.”
Under the Free Trade Initiative, all import and export tariffs on physical goods are
eliminated between The Republic and signing parties so long as the trade deficit in
either direction remains at twenty percent or less. Services and intellectual properties
are excluded. The Lyran Commonwealth was a strong force behind FTI and the first
beneficiary of the agreement.
Ambassador Amber Steiner-Avanti of the Lyran Commonwealth Diplomatic Corps
called Exarch Redburn’s outlook, “one of forward-thinking and strong direction.”
Not everyone is as sanguine about the developing economic situation, however. A
source close to the Exarch, who spoke only on condition of anonymity, reported that
there is much debate among senior government officials over the value of the Free
Trade Initiative, and that there are some “dark clouds” on the horizon.
“There has been a serious recession looming on the horizon for years,” according to
this source. “We’ve all known about it, including the Exarch. Free trade with the
Lyran Commonwealth is not going to solve that, especially when the trade deficit is
certain to swing against us.”
Republic Senator Lissa Ruchenko (Nationalistic Party—Procyon) disagrees. “The call
to protect local jobs and trades has always been a red herring, thrown out by
isolationist supporters to distract attention away from their real goals. Exarch Redburn
is smart enough and studied enough to know that free trade has always been a
catalyst for economic growth.”
| June 25, 3132 |