EU shipowners say CETA good for industry

European shipowners were relieved Thursday when the Belgian delegation to the EU and Canadian negotiations involving the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement had agreed to move forward with the trade deal.    European shipowners were relieved Thursday when the Belgian delegation to the EU and Canadian negotiations involving the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) had agreed to move forward with the trade deal.
   “More and smoother trade means more and better maritime transport operations, shipping being the main vector of trade,” said Patrick Verhoeven, secretary general of the European Community Shipowners’ Association, in a statement.
   “This agreement is moreover one of the first to conditionally open some feeder services, transportation of empty containers and dredging services,” he added. “These were important achievements the negotiators obtained and bring EU and Canada closer to similar and fairer market conditions – given the EU market is almost completely free, with some very few conditions.”
   CETA, which has taken seven years to negotiate, covers all aspects of our broad trading relationship with the European Union, including goods, services, investment, government procurement and regulatory cooperation. CETA will provide Canada increased access to Europe’s $20 trillion market.
   According to various news reports, the 28 European signatories to the deal have until midnight tonight to sign off on the deal.
   After the attempts to block CETA earlier this week, the Canadian government remains cautious about the trade deal’s approval.
   As reported by the BBC News on Thursday, Stephane Dion, Canada’s foreign minister, told reporters in Paris, “Once bitten, twice shy, we hope that the Europeans have agreed between themselves because Canada is ready to sign.”