[00:00.49]Chickens slaughtered in the United States, claim officials in Brussels, are not fit to grace European tables.
[00:08.28]No, say the American: our fowl are fine, we simply clean them in a different way.
[00:15.29]These days, it is differences in national regulations, far more than tariffs, that put sand in the wheels of trade between rich countries.
[00:25.23]It is not just farmers who are complaining.
[00:28.55]An electric razor that meets the European Union's safety standards must be approved by American testers before it can be sold in the United States,
[00:39.09]and an American-made dialysis machine needs the EU's okay before is hits the market in Europe.
[00:46.96]As it happens, a razor that is safe in Europe is unlikely to electrocute Americans.
[00:53.27]So, ask businesses on both sides of the Atlantic, why have two lots of tests where one would do?
[01:01.30]Politicians agree, in principle, so America and the EU have been trying to reach a deal which would eliminate the need to double-test many products.
[01:12.44]They hope to finish in time for a trade summit between America and the EU on May 28TH.
[01:19.32]Although negotiators are optimistic, the details are complex enough that they may be hard-pressed to get a deal at all.
[01:27.35]Why? One difficulty is to construct the agreements.
[01:31.87]The Americans would happily reach one accord on standards for medical devices and them hammer out different pacts covering, say, electronic goods and drug manufacturing.
[01:42.84]The EU -- following fine continental traditions -- wants agreement on general principles, which could be applied to many types of products and perhaps extended to other countries.
