Australia-EU trade talks delayed amid submarine row

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — A round of free trade talks between the European Union and Australia has been postponed in the wake of a dispute over Canberra’s decision to cancel a multibillion-euro French submarine deal. The EU commission spokesperson in charge of trade did not give any specific reason for the postponement. The EU launched negotiations for a trade agreement with Australia in 2018. The 12th round of talks was scheduled to take place later this month. Australia had signed the 90 billion Australian dollar ($66 billion) deal in 2016 with French majority state-owned Naval Group in 2016 to build 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines. But Australia canceled the deal last month as part of an alliance with the United States and Britain.