This can be described as a Brexit problem (or even, for those who wish to be arch, a “Brexit Benefit”). The correct description is insanity:
A post-Brexit trade deal with Canada has collapsed after negotiations lasting more than two years were halted by a row over meat and cheese exports.
Diplomats paused talks on Thursday with each side accusing the other of obstructing progress.
The major sticking points in the deal are understood to be exports of British cheese and imports of beef from Canada to the UK.
The naive might think that this means the Canadians are refusing to send their cheap (and Yummy!) beef to Britain, while we Brits are cruelly denying the Canucks our wondrous (and Yummy!) cheeses. To think that is to entirely misunderstand how politics views trade - which is through that lens of insanity.
Canada has been pushing for more UK access for its beef and pork producers and also wants the UK to relax a ban on beef treated with hormones.
Mr Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, meanwhile, had promised his dairy farmers no more foreign cheese imports under its strict dairy supply management system, after making concessions to the United States in a North American free trade agreement.
See? Insane. The Canadian government is denying Canadians our super cheeses, our own government is denying us that lovely beef and pork (Canadian bacon is indeed the only North American version of that comestible worth eating). They are, as we say, insane:
The popular view that free trade is all very well so long as all nations are free-traders, but that when other nations erect tariffs we must erect tariffs too, is countered by the argument that it would be just as sensible to drop rocks into our harbours because other nations have rocky coasts.
Professor Robinson is echoing M. Bastiat there and is therefore correct. She is also correct in that politics inverts this - which is, again, why politics is an insane way of dealing with trade.
To recap. Mr. Britishploddingbureaucrattradenegotiator sits in front of Johnny Foreigner and insists that “If the Brothers McKenzie cannot have a stiltonburger then I will punish my people, Britons, by refusing them cheap beef and round bacon. Take that, dastard.” We also have to pay, at gunpoint, Mr. Bpbtn a very fine salary* for making us poorer in this manner.
This system is insane. The only logical attitude to have is unilateral free trade. So, let’s do that then.
*Plus the finest pension plan in the country and likely the kids’ school fees. Diplomatic Service gets full freight at Eton paid for all kids. We’ll also probably have to mint a CMG or the like for them at some stage. Which is rather rubbing it in we feel.