Europe’s slowdown leaves China’s exporters with another big gap to fill amid trade war with US

David Brown- says as the German economic spring appears to be winding down, and with Europe expected to have a hard landing, China should be looking less to exports.
With a market of 740 million consumers, Europe is an important destination for Chinese exports. A downturn in European demand for China’s goods could be bad timing for Beijing in the midst of its deepening trade war with America. The prospect of slower world trade, weaker global economic activity and the shadow descending over international equity markets compound the problem. Beijing needs a bold reflation plan to help soften the external blow while boosting the domestic economy. No time like the present to get those policy changes into gear.
https://www.scmp.com/author/david-brown

'A great day': Trudeau signs European Union trade deal in Brussels

The European Union and Canada signed Sunday a landmark trade pact, ending days of drama after a small Belgian region refused to endorse the agreement and deeply embarrassed the EU.

The long-delayed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement was bedeviled by yet another hold up overnight when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's plane had to return to Ottawa because of mechanical issues.

"What patience," exclaimed European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker as he embraced the arriving Trudeau at EU headquarters in Brussels.

• "The fact that throughout people were asking tough questions of a deal that will have a significant impact on our economies, and giving us the opportunity to demonstrate that that impact will be positive, is a good thing," Trudeau told a news conference following the signing.

The signing is a step that should enable a provisional implementation of the pact early in 2017 with the removal of most import duties.

Trudeau said provisional application would unlock 98 per cent of CETA's key measures and that consumers and businesses would immediately feel its benefits.

"We are confident that demonstrating that trade is good for the middle classes (...) will make sure that everybody gets that this is a good thing for our economies and that it is also a good thing for the world," Trudeau said.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-europe-trade-signing-sunday