Brexit the economy and house prices part 6

kabayiri

ilovehouses wrote: »

Most nations on Planet Earth would concentrate on large trading blocs that are geographically close.
...

Yeah, that's why China chose to sell things only to Japan and North Korea, ignoring the possibility of the container ship to move things

...oh ye of limited ambition.

Enterprise_1701C

Ballard wrote: »

Are you sure that you’ve got the right country? I’m fairly sure that the Sahara doesn’t penetrate into Kenya. I’m asking for my curiosity rather than nitpicking as I have an interest in such things.

Apologies, the Sahara was when we were in Egypt. Doesn't change the long flat straight smooth road going through a desert though. Sorry, Kenya was about 10 years ago.

Herzlos

kabayiri wrote: »

Yeah, that's why China chose to sell things only to Japan and North Korea, ignoring the possibility of the container ship to move things

...oh ye of limited ambition.

Yet most of China's trade is with the geographically closest countries. Just like he said.

Anyone can ship anything round the world, but it'll take longer and cost more* than sending it to a neighbour.

*with the exception of filling empty return containers, which is really cheap.

Ballard

kabayiri wrote: »

Yeah, that's why China chose to sell things only to Japan and North Korea, ignoring the possibility of the container ship to move things

...oh ye of limited ambition.

Although this is a reasonable point there are differences between ours and China’s trade. I’m no expert but China do sell a fair amount of tat which is often lightweight and non-perishable. Selling cars and farm produce, for example, wouldn’t be quite so easy or cheap to transport.

Thrugelmir

Originally Posted by Arklight
public transport that isn't designed to be a choking mess that only benefits private shareholders

Caught the TGV from Paris to Lyons a week or so ago. Two hour trip , took 3 and half hours. Much to the dismay of the other passengers on the train. The train was actually terminated at Lyons, those travelling further, Avignon, Marseilles etc, had to find alternative trains. Even the best transport systems are not immune to disruption.

kabayiri

Herzlos wrote: »

Yet most of China's trade is with the geographically closest countries. Just like he said.

Anyone can ship anything round the world, but it'll take longer and cost more* than sending it to a neighbour.

*with the exception of filling empty return containers, which is really cheap.

In fact, our biggest export by volume is indeed fresh air (well stale container air).

So, every single day huge numbers of containers are leaving these shores empty of things, and many of those will visit China.

Sea freight is amazingly cheap in comparison to land based transport.

Thrugelmir

Ballard wrote: »

Although this is a reasonable point there are differences between ours and China’s trade. I’m no expert but China do sell a fair amount of tat which is often lightweight and non-perishable. Selling cars and farm produce, for example, wouldn’t be quite so easy or cheap to transport.

China is moving upmarket. Hence it's appetite for acquiring technology. Likewise the current directive is to close some 2,000 existing manufacturing plants by 2020. Refocussing their output on higher value output. Tat was fine to rebuild the economy. Doesn't offer well paid jobs though.

The biggest ships now carry 13,000 containers. London Gateway can unload 6 ships at a time. With the cranes grabbing 4 containers per lift.

Likewise there's now a train line between China and Germany. Freight trains cover the journey in just over two weeks.

Herzlos

kabayiri wrote: »

Sea freight is amazingly cheap in comparison to land based transport.

But an awful lot slower.

Moby

Arklight wrote: »

I have just returned from a driving holiday in Europe. It was lovely driving around the clean, orderly, towns, cities and villages of affordable houses populated by affluent, educated and level headed people. People who are used to functioning healthcare systems, public transport that isn't designed to be a choking mess that only benefits private shareholders, and Education that is treated as something that benefits everyone, not as an opportunity to enact some bizarre ideological war against young people.

Of course it was great returning home to England too, the bone jarring potholes from the crumbling litter strewn roads, the right wing press spewing hatred from every orifice, the constant fear of being out of work and how to service my enormous mortgage for my jaw droppingly over priced house. At least I have the results of my health check to look forward to, except the NHS can't find the results.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/aug/07/increase-in-uk-life-spans-stalling-at-one-of-fastest-rates-among-20-leading-economies

We'll be a third world country when brexit kicks in.

Arklight

Moby wrote: »

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/aug/07/increase-in-uk-life-spans-stalling-at-one-of-fastest-rates-among-20-leading-economies

We'll be a third world country when brexit kicks in.

Imagine when all the Costa Del Pensioners start coming back and having to rely on the NHS...

There are a great many things that Europe just does better than the UK. Pretty much everything to do with providing state services is better in Western Europe than here.

It isn't unpatriotic to point this out. Britain almost can't provide state services anymore because the Tories sold them all off. This wouldn't be tolerated in France because they have seen what's happened in the UK.

Separating ourselves from Europe is not going to make anything here better. It is going to make things worse.