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The China-Asean free trade area: Propaganda and reality
15-Jan-2010 Inquirer
The propaganda mills, especially in Beijing, have been trumpeting the FTA as bringing “mutual benefits” to China and Asean. The reality, however, is that most of the advantages will probably flow to China, writes Walden Bello.
Commitment needed for China trade
15-Jan-2010 Stuff
We’re the only Western country to boast a free trade deal with China. But are New Zealand companies — and the Government — doing enough to exploit that?
Honduran congress votes to leave ALBA
13-Jan-2010 Morning Star
The Honduran Congress, which is dominated by supporters of self-styled "interim president" Roberto Micheletti, voted 123 to five late on Tuesday to end co-operation with Cuba and Venezuela under the the ALBA Peoples’ Trade Treaty.
US revives Asia trade agenda
13-Jan-2010 Asia Times
A US commitment to the P4 through a wider trade pact would indirectly inject new life into the fading Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which veered off course into security issues during the George W Bush administration and which is now struggling to achieve its market-liberalizing goals set out in Bogor, Indonesia, in 1994.
Spanish firms launch ICSID dispute against Mexico over stalled toxic waste disposal project
13-Jan-2010 ITN
Spanish firms Abengoa, S.A. and COFIDES, S.A. have launched a claim with ICSID against Mexico over the stalled opening of a toxic waste disposal plant built by them in the municipality of Zimapán, approximately 200 kilometres north of Mexico City.
Free trade proposal worries dairy allies
13-Jan-2010 WDT
The last time the United States and New Zealand opened up their agricultural markets to each other, New Zealand’s dairy farmers won greater access to a coveted piece of the US dairy industry. The United States settled for cat food.
Indonesia to prepare FTA deal with Egypt
13-Jan-2010 VIVA News
The governments of Indonesia and Egypt agreed to start talks on possible free trade agreement in no time, according to Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu
Indonesia back-tracks on China trade pact
13-Jan-2010 AFP
Indonesia has asked to re-write a new regional trade pact with China, citing fears of job losses due to a flood of cheap Chinese imports across various sectors, officials said Wednesday.
Free-trade pacts ignore labor
13-Jan-2010 Bsuienss Mirror
Recruitment agencies caution the Philippine government in signing free-trade agreements with developed countries because they will only result in further job losses for local workers
Hariri: Lebanon will soon sign free-trade deal with Turkey
13-Jan-2010 Daily Star
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said during a meeting with Turkish and Lebanese businessmen in Istanbul on Tuesday a free trade agreement between Lebanon and Turkey will soon be signed.
Free trade does little for Australia
13-Jan-2010 Fruitnet.com
Five years into a free trade deal between Australia and the US and horticulture industry insiders say not much has changed
China-ASEAN FTA to boost Malaysian palm oil export
13-Jan-2010
The full implementation of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) is expected to boost the export of Malaysia’s palm oil industry, especially to China
A North American Security Perimeter On The Horizon
12-Jan-2010 beyourownleader
We are well on the way towards a North American security perimeter where trade and investment will be able to roam freely, while we are all forced to endure new security practices dominated by U.S. interests.
ALBA will start using the Sucre
12-Jan-2010 Capitales
Sucre is a virtual “currency” which will be used in the Alba countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, San Vincent and the Grenadines and Venezuela.
Protesters want boycott of Japanese products
12-Jan-2010 Stuff
Anti-whaling protesters have called for Kiwis to boycott Japanese goods over the slaughter of whales as the protest ship Ady Gil sank in the Southern Ocean.
Human rights and the ASEAN-China FTA
12-Jan-2010 Jakarta Post
Entering year 2010 is marked by the entry into a free trade area agreement between ASEAN and China, also known as the ASEAN-China FTA. Little attention was given to the possible impact of this FTA agreement to fulfill human rights in Indonesia.
Free trade agreements may aid toxic-waste trade
12-Jan-2010 DNA India
As Indian negotiations for signing free trade agreements (FTAs) with trade partners such as Japan and the European Union (EU) gather momentum, so do concerns over environment and waste dumping.
S’pore, Costa Rica, to ink FTA
12-Jan-2010 Straits Times
It will be Costa Rica’s first with an Asian country
Israel pushing for trade pact with India
12-Jan-2010 The Hindu
Israel on Monday said it wants to push for a free trade agreement with India with an objective of tripling bilateral commerce to USD 12 billion over the next four-five years.
China trade deal to cost Indonesia ’millions of jobs’
11-Jan-2010 Jakarta Globe
In the latest and most authoritative warning about a new region-wide free-trade agreement with China, an executive with the state social security provider PT Jamsostek predicts that as many to two million Indonesians will be laid off because their firms can’t outperform their Chinese rivals.