this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2026
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LONDON — Two of the world’s biggest trading blocs are cautiously eyeing closer ties to short-circuit Donald Trump’s tariffs.

The European Union and a 12-nation Indo-Pacific bloc are opening talks to explore proposals to form one of the largest global economic alliances, multiple people with knowledge of the talks told POLITICO.

Canada is spearheading the discussions after Prime Minister Mark Carney called on middle powers to buck trade war coercion last month, days after Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Denmark’s European allies if it didn’t cede Greenland.

Ottawa is “championing efforts to build a bridge between the Trans-Pacific Partnership [CPTPP] and the European Union, which would create a new trading bloc of 1.5 billion people,” Carney told world leaders and the global business elite in Davos.

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[–] pulsewidth@lemmy.world 27 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Its just a perfunctory acronym.

Same as the US ones ever were..

AUSFTA. BUSFTA. DRCFTA. CUSFTA. USCFTA. PUSTPA. TTIP. NAFTA. FTAA. USTFTA.

Yeah, they really roll off the tongue.

[–] First_Thunder@lemmy.zip 8 points 23 hours ago (1 children)
[–] pulsewidth@lemmy.world 10 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (1 children)

The point of listing the others is that NAFTA being pointed to as a 'good sounding' or 'well-named' acronym is that it's completely by accident.

The US almost always titles their trade agreements [country initial]USF(ree)T(rade)A(greement), and their title becomes their acronym.

Near zero thought goes into it.

[–] First_Thunder@lemmy.zip -1 points 19 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Zorque@lemmy.world 7 points 19 hours ago

I didn't realize those were trade agreements.