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Draft amendment to patent law a ’sell-out’
8-Feb-2006 Bangkok Post
Opponents of a free trade area (FTA) agreement with the US have lashed out at the government’s proposed amendment of Thai patent law to facilitate the United States’ patenting of drugs and living organisms in Thailand. They fear it would lead to greater control of the country’s resources by American firms.
Sudan: Uganda losing out to FTA countries
7-Feb-2006
Uganda is losing business in the Sudanese market because of its failure to ratify the Free Trade Area of the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (Comesa).
Japan wants to seal FTAs with GCC — report
7-Feb-2006
Japan wants to open free trade agreement (FTA) talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council, China, India, Australia and South Africa, a top-selling business daily here reported Sunday.
Free trade agreements and Labour: Much more than a Labour Clause
7-Feb-2006 RECALCA
The FTA signed between Peru and the US has 24 chapters. One of these is a labor chapter that is identical to that found in the US-Colombia FTA and the US-Ecuador. On the subject of including this chapter, it is necessary to analyze the impact of signing this Treaty on labor and employment conditions for Colombians.
Stars Fight Losing Battle Against Screen Quota Cut
7-Feb-2006
One of Asia’s best known movie stars stood in front of the National Assembly in Yoido, Seoul, holding a picket which read: ``Be a friend of the screen quota system and we will flap Taegukgi in the world.’’
Work for a win-win agreement
7-Feb-2006
The competition over "mating" between countries and regions through free trade agreements is unusual. One hundred and twenty free trade agreements have been entered to date - 95 of them in the past five years. Fifteen agreements were reached last year and 37 are currently underway. Immediately after he came into office in 2001, US President George W. Bush pushed to enter free trade agreements, saying the United States was behind the European Union in making such pacts.
FTA to ease NK nuclear concern
7-Feb-2006
A free trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and the United States would help ease concerns over North Korea’s nuclear weapons development, a high-ranking official said Tuesday.
US wants free trade agreement with Mercosur: diplomat
7-Feb-2006 Xinhua
The United States is seeking a free trade agreement with the Common Market of the South (Mercosur), Latin America’s largest trading bloc, according to a top US diplomat.
Japan, Thailand likely to sign bilateral FTA in April
7-Feb-2006 Kyodo
Japan and Thailand are likely to sign a bilateral free trade agreement in April, a high-ranking Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry official said Monday.
S. Korea set to re-open FTA talks with Japan
7-Feb-2006 Yonhap
South Korea is willing to resume talks with Japan on a free trade agreement (FTA) if the latter promises to open its agricultural market wider, Seoul’s top economic policymaker said Saturday.
Vietnam, Japan to start FTA negotiations
7-Feb-2006 Xinhua
Vietnam and Japan will begin their first round of negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) in mid-February, local media on Monday quoted sources from the Vietnamese Trade Ministry.
PM proposes FTA with Oman
7-Feb-2006 Daily Times
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday proposed that Pakistan and Oman should sign Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to further expand their economic ties and this would be Pakistan’s first FTA with a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country.
Free-Trade Backer Favored in Costa Rica
7-Feb-2006
A Nobel Peace Prize winner who supports a free-trade agreement with the United States was favored in pre-election polls as Costa Ricans chose a new president on Sunday. He faced a rival who said the pact would hurt farmers.
FTA deals a wild card: farmers
7-Feb-2006
To the delight of free traders and the apprehension of Korean farmers and other globalization foes, the United States and Korea announced Thursday that they would begin negotiations on a free trade agreement.
US-Thailand FTA - More IPR text proposed by US (2006)
6-Feb-2006
General provisions, trademarks (including GIs) and domain names
GCC-India FTA to be signed in near future
6-Feb-2006 Bahrein Tribune
The GCC-India free trade agreement (FTA) will open over a billion consumers’ market for the Gulf countries.
Peru - Farmers ask for referendum free trade agreement
5-Feb-2006 PULSAR
The National Agricultural Convention (CONVEAGRO) will present 40,000 signatures at the National Electoral Jury to back up their demand to submit signing of a free trade agreement with the US to a national referendum.
Sri Lanka, Thailand benefit more from FTA with India
5-Feb-2006 Financial Express
With India signing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Sri Lanka (1998) and Thailand (2004), its imports from these two countries have gone up by over 300% and 125%, respectively, between 2002-03 and 2004-05. India’s exports to Sri Lanka rose by about 47% and that to Thailand by 19% during the same period.
Panama, Chile reach free trade pact
5-Feb-2006 Xinhua
Panama and Chile signed a free trade deal here on Saturday, ending their 15th round of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks.
Outlook Hopeful as Trade Talks Begin
4-Feb-2006
Kim Hyun-jong, Korea’s trade minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Robert Portman, the United States Trade Representative, declared the start of preliminary ROK-U.S. ROK-U.S. free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations at a joint press conference in the main hall of Capitol Building in Washington D.C. yesterday.