Re: @ iron
@ strum
"I keep seeing this garbage."
And it is garbage to you because you dont seem to understand it.
"There are chains of commerce, sometimes involving dozens of businesses, often crossing many frontiers"
A concept which breaches outside the walls of the EU. If the EU exists purely on its internal resources it turns into the USSR (expanding to claim more resources but not developing). So to claim the world doesnt work unless it is within the borders of the EU is to exclude the world from existing.
"None of them can drop their standards below the highest level encountered"
Hmm. I see the misunderstanding is strong. I want food. I buy food, say from a country with lower standards than the country I sell to. But what I sell to that country is compliant with that country. The buyer gains to their standards, I gain to my standards, the food supplier gains also. Apply to a world of many transactions of many services and products where the EU has its little borders of standards (not mocking) and all the other countries with their own little borders of their own standards. Your claim suggests nobody does business. You are wrong.
"Difference is, we have never had any say in those standards. We are surrendering our say in the standards of the world's biggest market."
Nooooo, dont be so wrong. We are not surrendering our say in the standards of the US and China. We have no say over their standards! Even the EU doesnt. Their standards are up to them, the EU's up to the EU and they negotiate trade to meet a set of agreed standards (acceptable either way). The only standards we might have some influence on in the EU is possibly the EU standards but 1/28th of an influence but bound by all. We leave and we influence 100% of the UK's standards.