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Trade agreements must go far beyond just cutting tariffs – Merkel

Free trade agreements have to do more than just cut tariffs, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told trade unionists on Wednesday, adding that environmental, consumer protection and dispute resolution standards were also essential.

“A modern trade agreement has to be about more than cutting tariffs,” she told the Labour 20 conference of international trade unions. “It should also be about environmental and consumer standards and should have transparent conflict resolution mechanisms.”