USSCR Trade Meeting

[Central Ruska]

Grand Star Hotel, Chernyshevka, 18th March.

A cold wind blew through the streets of Chernyshevka, keeping the temperature barely above freezing, the late winter freeze had yet to dissipate. Whilst the city struggled to keep warm, the Staff at the Grand Star Hotel were hard at work, preparing for the days events, mainly the International trade conference. The upcoming conference saw key members from several nations; The Hapes Consortium, The Kingdom of Coryo, The Dictatorship of Controlita; and the Peoples Democratic Republic of Costa Verde meet in the capital to discuss trade and promote co-operation, all in an attempt to boost relations with the new government.

Leading the meeting was Romanov Konstantin, a dedicated and resourceful man appointed to the position after the coup earlier in the year. The new government of the USSCR hoped that the meeting would improve trade relations, and possibly extend their influence after the not so quiet coup d'etat. Romanov looked at his wristwatch, 9:41, it wouldn’t be long before the first delegates arrived. He moved to take his seat at the head of the table, and begun to look through the information he was given, highlighting important segments and points, patiently waiting for the representatives to arrive.

[Control]

A back street, Chernyshevka, 18th March

"Are you sure this is the best way to the hotel?" asked Alec Fritchey, Controlitian Minister of the Border.
"Of course, sir. My GPS hasn't failed me yet," answered his Kantran driver, Georgy Dragovich.
"I see. That frequent "recalculating" must be part of the music, hmm?"
"Ah... Yes. That must be it." Dragovich coughed. "Sir, if you don't mind me asking, why didn't you let the Central Russians escort us?"
Fritchey answered sharply. "Good God, man! Have you not been following the news of USSCR? They've just had a coup! Who knows whom we can trust? Especially since the Tyrant sent me out here like some sort of errand boy..."
Fritchey fell silent, lost in thought, as Dragovich turned onto a main street. They pulled up to the Grand Star Hotel a few minutes later.

[Hapes]

(For the purpose of this RP, assume that The Hapes Consortium is located on the tall, thin island east of Sidland)

Somewhere above Central Russia, 18th March

The Hapan AS2 roared toward Chernyshevka. It was extremely cold out, especially for Hapan standards, but the cabin was very comfortably heated. Representative Otoh Taa and his delegation fastened their seatbelts as the plane slowed from supersonic speed and came in for a landing. A large but jolly man, Taa was getting on in years and did not particularly like flying as much as he used to.

The waiting motorcade transported them to the Grand Star Hotel, and as he exited his vehicle the cold nearly knocked the wind out of him. He definitely hated going anywhere where the average temperature was below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but Central Russia was a leading player on the world stage nowadays, and a valuable partner. Secondarily, the Hapan Enclave wished to probe the stability of the new government; the recent coup had marred public image of the country in Hapes, and the Government wanted to be able to prove stability to its people before they traded with them. To a lesser extent, Taa was also glad for the opportunity to build relations with the other nations in attendance. As he stepped inside the hotel and checked his coat, he looked at his wristwatch. 9:41 exactly. He was one of those people who loved those lucky little moments where everything lined up perfectly, and he smiled to himself. He made his way to the board room where the conference was being held, and together with an aide, he entered. When he noticed Mr. Konstantin, he smiled and went to shake his hand.

"Mr. Konstantin," he said genuinely. "I am Representative Otoh Taa of the Hapan Enclave. On behalf of the Consortium, I wish to thank you for inviting us to your trade summit, and to congratulate you on your successful revolution. It is our hope that together we may build a brighter future for both of our nations."

[Coryo]

Grand Star Hotel, Chernyshevka, 18th March.

The frigid temperature of Chernyshevka was as cold as the nights of Sinuiju(Most Northwestern city of Coryo). The prime minister of Coryo, on behalf of its King, Hwangsason, arrived at the cold but calm hotel, riding on a fine Equus of Hyundai. The prime minister did not flinch nor express disgust at the coldness of the weather, for he had been living in the northern parts of Coryo, temperatures of which can go down to -30 degrees Celsius.

He looked at his wristwatch, made from an elderly Corean in the countryside of the Jeolla Province, and it was 9:41. He hurriedly headed to the main hall in which the other delegates were present. His aide opened the door of the conference room and had the Prime Minister step in first, while he stepped in right after the Prime Minister did.

"It is with deep pleasure I am able to meet you at this very hour. Hopefully, we can all prosper with the negotiations and trade proposals that are set to come forth during the meeting. Congratulations on a well-thought and well-executed revolution."

[Control]

Grand Star Hotel, Chernyshevka, 18th March.

Minister Fritchey hurried into the meeting room. "Apologies for my tardiness, gentlemen." Dragovich, following behind him, glanced at his watch and was surprised to see it was only 0943. He set Fritchey's briefcase down on the conference table and took a seat in one of the chairs placed against the wall.
Fritchey continued, "I trust today will be a productive one, unmarred by any acts of the previous administration." He briefly glanced at the windows before going to each of the other ministers, shaking their hands and saying "Charmed," to each of them.

[Central Ruska]

A few miles from the Grand Star Hotel, Chernyshevka, 18th March.

The sounds of sirens blared through the streets of Chernyshevka as the convoy of police vehicles drove towards the Grand Star Hotel, in the middle, a single black sedan carried Miguel Ojeda, Costa Verde's Minister of Trade. It wasn't long before the cars arrived at the entrance to the hotel, Miguel looked through the window, it must have only been 10, maybe even 20 feet to get from the car to the entrance, to many Central Russians, this wouldn't bother them, but for someone from a country such as Costa Verde, it seemed like hundreds of feet.

Miguel took a deep breath and opened the door, trading the comfort of the warm heated vehicle for the biting cold. The freezing air hit him like a truck, his body tensed up against the weather as he slowly moved forward. He quickly marched for the foyer to get into the warmth, pushing through the revolving doors, he took a long sigh of relief before making his way up to the conference room.

---

He stood before the doors to the room, taking a second to compose himself before he opened the doors. "Ah, Mr. Konstantin," he said, smiling as he extended his hand towards Romanov. "It is a pleasure to meet you today. I am Miguel Ojeda the representative from Costa Verde." He said, giving a quick hand shake before finding his seat.

Romanov remained standing, extending his arms out before he spoke; "I would like to thank you all for being here today and I hope you all find the temperature in here warmer that it is outside! You also have my word Mr. Fritchey that nothing will happen in regards to the previous government." He joked. As he sat down, Romanov took a quick look at his papers, he paused briefly before he looked back up at the representatives "Again, I would like to thank you all for making it here today. As you all know by now, the USSCR has recently gone through a small government change, I would like to reassure you all that it has not changed our stance on international trade. However, we see this as an opportunity allow for more international trade and the reducing of international tariffs." He took a second to take a short sip from his coffee.

"I would like to share with you some production, harvest and industry results from last year. On average, the farmlands of the Southern Oblasts produce up to 78 Million tonnes of Wheat. However, there is the constant threat from poor harvest, such as the harvest of last year in which the harvests produced little over 55 Million tonnes. Couple that with a harsh winter and we are at risk of a Famine. On the other hand, Northern Oblasts are thriving from natural gas production, last year we produced roughly 15 billion cubic square feet. As for manufacturing, 40% of our manufacturing is conducted within the Oblast Kepvar alone. In that Oblast, anything from automobiles and farming equipment to electronics are made there. Unfortunately, due to the failure of the 22nd Economic plan, industry outputs are down by as much as 14 percent." He finished, taking another sip from his coffee.

[Surdra]

(tag)

[Hapes]

"I see," contemplated the Rep. Taa, stroking his beard. He reached his hand out and his aide handed him a binder full of statistics. "I would like to point out how admirably your nation has rebounded since the failure of your previous economic plan, even if there are still mountains to climb. Lets see here," he began, producing a pair of half-moon reading glasses from inside his suit.

"Agricultural statistics from the past year out of the Consortium and Outlying Islands have been looking up. We are blessed with a mild, year-round climate and fertile sun-bathed lands which are suitable for many different forms of agriculture. In the last year alone, Hapan farmers have produced 15.8 million tonnes of coconuts, along with approximately 29.2 million tonnes of sugarcane. Similar numbers were shown for other tropical and subtropical crops, including bananas, pineapples, breadfruit, and genotypes of genetically-modified spring wheat which allow us to be more or less self-sufficient when it comes to foodstuffs. Coffee growth has been sluggish as of late, but we are hoping that will turn around soon enough with farmers reporting a mere 3,270 tonnes being cultivated. However, we also farm livestock with our major products being beef, pork, seafood and bee products. In that sector we produced approximately 4.5 million tonnes of product." He stopped to take a sip of coffee before continuing.

"As for manufacture, we are an island nation and as such the environment is of major concern to us. Therefore, strict regulations have been placed on businesses and imports, with tariffs running high. Average import duties run about 20-35%. However, that has not stopped production in the southern, more temperate portions of the country, where Hapan corporations produce fine quality goods such as textiles, electronics, jewelry, automobiles, and even aerospace products for both the civilian and defense sectors. Overall, we report a 3.2% growth in industry over the previous year. Our resources are scarce however, due to the restricted size of our nation, and we do rely on imports to refine and create many of our goods."

Handing back the binder to his aide and putting his glasses away, he stated quickly, "It is worth noting that the Hapan economy is more service-driven on the whole however, with our main focuses being in Creative Industries and Tourism. Everything else is essentially secondary."

He looked around pensively before finishing. "I daresay, Mr. Konstantin, but I hope you don't mind me noticing that the Kingdom of Surdra is not present at this meeting. It was my understanding that they gave aid to your country after the economic crisis, and it is interesting that they do not have a seat at the table."

[Coryo]

The prime minister of Coryo stepped into the conversation after the Hapan official stated his comments:

"Our nation does not have restrictions that are as strict as those in Hapes. Tariffs do not run as high. In the northern regions of Coryo, we produce various minerals such as magnesite, zinc, tungsten, iron, limestone, copper, and graphite. In the southern regions of Coryo, we produce various textiles, electronics, and automobiles. Our electronics department produces many high-tech smartphones, tablets, laptops, and various appliances. We have reported a 7.1% growth in industry compared to growth of last year. However, we do have to rely on imports as our territory is quite small compared to those of the rest of the nations.

As for the agricultural sector, we have produced approximately 16.1 million tonnes of rice, 9.5 million tonnes of flour, and a mere 3.4 million tonnes of barley. Barley growth has been steadily growing since the past decade; however, it is expected that such growth will become stagnant by the end of next year.

As for the imports, we are quite interested in importing not only beef, but also natural gas. Natural gas has become an essential part of our public transportation system as well as residential heating system. Many Corean residents depend upon public transportation as an essential means to getting around to workplaces, homes, vacation areas, and much more. Residential heating system, needless to say, is much needed during winter times."

[Central Ruska]

Romanov took another sip of his coffee, he knew that question would be asked at some point during this meeting. "Mr. Taa, I would rather not discuss the events of the Malashenko government. Other than that, they were unable to make it to the meeting today." He said, smiling at the delegate. "Also, due to the size of your nation, we can understand that you lack mineral resources, which ultimately force you into importing the resources that you need."

"Within the USSCR, we have access to a wide variety of mineral resources, ranging from Iron to Uranium. In most cases, we stockpile what we can; which is then moved around the country to industrial areas, and any surplus materials are sent onto the world market, this is the same for grain products and lumber." He continued, pausing again to sip at his drink. "And to you, Mr. Hwangsason, I am sure that we could organise the export of natural gas to Coryo. But to do that, we need to work on reducing international tariffs between the five of us."

[Coryo]

Prime Minister of Coryo looked at his aide in puzzled belief, as he stared back at Romanov. Hwangsason is the King of Coryo, and the Prime Minister of Coryo was attending this summit on behalf of him. However, he maintained his composure and well understood the need to reduce international tariffs amongst the five nations at the summit.

[Hapes]

"I understand. I thank you for understanding as well." Taa said, quickly bowing his head to Konstantin before continuing.

"The USSCR contains vast amounts resources that we could utilize, and we would be more than happy to try and reach an agreement on tariff reduction with you. You must understand, however, these are not revenue tariffs, but protective. Hapan industry is strong, but we fear the effects of jumping headlong into a completely global market. That said, we are always looking for more resources and commissions to be placed under our control. We are currently looking at expanding our deep-sea mining operations within our EEZ which should alleviate some of that need."

[Central Ruska]

"I can understand that they are protective tariffs, you don't want to run risk losing the backbone of the Hapan economy. The USSCR will be happy to trade, however, the tariffs have to be lowered. We can provide the resources to sustain your industry where it is lacking. Mr. Ojeda, the Peoples Democratic Republic of Costa Verde has the ability to provide petroleum based products, is that correct?" Romanov asked.

"Yes, Costa Verde produces around nine hundred barrels of crude oil per day. Costa Verde also has access to mineral resources such as iron and coal." Ojeda replied, briefly looking through his papers before he continued. "If you don't mind me interrupting the discussion on the reduction of tariffs, I would like to express interest in Central Russia's ability to trade agricultural machinery. Due to the growing demand Costa Verdian food product, it has caused a sizeable boom in agricultural demand."

"Thank you, Mr. Ojeda. Your interest has been noted, I'll see what I can do about that. But getting back onto topic, If Costa Verde is willing to, I'm sure that they would be willing to trade petroleum or ore."

[Hapes]

"We most likely be able to strike a deal in tariff reduction in certain markets, but across-the-board cuts will have to be slim. As for the Costa Verdian resources, we would be greatly interested in procuring both iron and petrol. They would do much good for Hapan business. We would, of course, be willing to increase exports to Costa Verde in exchange for these resources. If there is anything you require, I'm sure we can procure it for you. I know that one of our most prominent Automobile and Aerospace manufacturers, the Hapanii Group, has been looking to increase exports, as domestic sales have been lagging as of late." said the representative, looking amicably to the Minister from Costa Verde. "If it isnt cars and planes you're looking for, they manufacture heavy machinery and power equipment, as well."

[Surdra]

(OOC: Okay first thing; ICly Surdra is not at this meeting for two major reasons, first Surdra does not officially recognize the new USSCR government and second because my government has begun issuing sanctions against the new government and coup leaders. Second thing; Hapes, your 20-35% import taxes have effectively shut you out of Surdran markets. I have a law called the Equal Trade Act which basically in order to promote fair trade mirrors any "unfair" trade restrictions on Surdran goods against the same country. For example; if you impose a 30% import tax on a Surdran made car entering Hapes I would then add a 30% tax to a car made in Hapes on top of the normal 3-5% Surdran import tax. I can get wanting to protect your own country's industry, that's why I have the ETA after all, but in the long run it will only hurt it. For example: Surdra is the largest single market in our world with 1.5 billion people. That's a huge market to be shut out of; just look at how large the share of exports the US makes up for most countries.)

[Surdra]

Miguel Ojeda shifted in his seat before answering, "I must restate what Mr. Konstantin has already said; The People's Democratic Republic will be happy to trade, however, the tariffs have to be lowered drastically. Currently such high import rates would make it so that any materials my country would import would be too overpriced to be competitive in the markets or we would have to sell at a lost on our end. Further more the Hapes Consortium must understand that the majority of a raw materials and petroleum products go to countries like the Kingdom of Surdra, where petroleum and raw materials like iron and coal are in constant high demand.. Therefore, in order to look out for the best interests of our citizens, the PDR has to focus our exports were the produce the most profit. So the Hapes Consortium must match or exceed the policies of countries like Surdra."

(OOC: Coryo; what's your PM's name?)

[Coryo]

(OOC: PM's name is Lee Jo-Gye.)

[Central Ruska]

"Mr. Taa, I would greatly advise on reducing the protection tariffs of The Hapes Consortium down to something more reasonable, maybe 4 or 5%. This will still allow you to protect your nations industry while maintaining a welcoming stance in the world economy."

Konstantin paused for a few seconds before looking at his wristwatch, 12:09. "Impressive, it seems that we've already made it to noon. I propose that we take a short break for some lunch, the restaurant should be serving up as we speak. Shall we?" As Konstantin stood up, he moved in close to his aide, quickly whispering several things before he continued to move towards the doors.

[Hapes]

"I shall have to make a few calls before I can agree on a tariff reduction of that caliber. But I have all of lunch to do this, it seems." Taa said, rising and exiting the conference room. His aide held the door for him, as he turned on his phone and began making calls back to other members of the Enclave's Committee on Economics and Commerce.

[Control]

Fritchey rose. "My esteemed colleague from The Hapes Consortium is not the only one who needs to make some calls. If you'll excuse me, I shall join you shortly."
Fritchey picked up his briefcase and walked out of the room, followed by Dragovich.

[Central Ruska]

It was about 10 minutes into lunch, the representatives sat around the table, casually conversing between themselves. Konstantin sat in silence, listening to the conversation until he felt a light tapping on his shoulder, it was his assistant. He briefly whispered into Konstantin ear, he nodded a few times. His assistant apologised to Konstantin and left the room.

"Ugh, the things I do for this country..." He said under his breath, as he walk down the corridor. "Sergei do this, Sergei do that!" he continued, looking at the briefcase in his hands. Sergei was never used to doing the job of an assistant, he preferred a more hands on job, which made him all the more perfect for this task. In reality, Sergei Romanov wasn't the assistant to Konstantin, he was merely playing the role of one. It wasn't long before he reached his destination. He briefly looked around before he opened the doors. The room looked like it had been some time since the last conference, chairs still remained stacked on top of each other and a fine coating of dust covered the tables. Sergei wandered around the room, pausing to stare out the windows, his eyes scanning the city's skyline. He placed his briefcase on the table and opened it up. He removed some of the papers, reading each briefly before he found the one he wanted. "Ah, Alvar Herrera. This should be interesting."