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Japan to speed up discussions on Pacific FTA under new Cabinet
16-Jan-2011 Mainichi
Discussions on whether Japan should join a U.S.-backed free trade initiative are expected to accelerate under the revamped Cabinet toward a self-imposed June deadline, with new trade minister Banri Kaieda expected to play a key role in pushing for the country’s participation in negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Farmers lobby for improved access to EU
16-Jan-2011 Times Live
South African agricultural groups are lobbying to rectify the highly skewed trade relationship with the European Union, looking for improved market access for a number of products including wine, sugar and canned fruit.
Korea free trade agreement draws protests in SF
16-Jan-2011 KGO-TV
Outside the Federal Building at Seventh and Mission streets in San Francisco, California Fair Trade Coalition Director Tim Robertson beat the drum against the proposed free trade agreement with Korea.
Ghana to sign interim EPA agreement with EU
14-Jan-2011 Citifmonline
Ghana will go ahead and sign an Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (IEPA) with the European Union this year following the lack of progress at the ECOWAS level.
Obama gov’t wants Congress to approve Korea FTA before July: Kirk
14-Jan-2011 Yonhap
The Obama administration wants Congress to ratify the free-trade deal with South Korea before a similar pact between South Korea and the European Union goes into effect in July, the chief U.S. trade official said Thursday.
Joining TPP could have China fallout
14-Jan-2011 Asahi Shimbun
Japan’s apparent eagerness to join the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade initiative could kill the momentum to forge free trade agreements with China and South Korea
Rally to stop the Korea-US FTA (14 Jan 2011 in SF)
14-Jan-2011
As the Obama administration moves closer to introducing the NAFTA-style Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) to Congress, citizens and activists will join Kim Kyung-Ran, Director of External Relations for the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, in a rally to oppose the deal.
From NAFTA to CETA: Canada-EU Deep Economic Integration
13-Jan-2011 Global Research
While Canada does need to lessen its dependency on the U.S. economy, CETA is based on the failed NAFTA trade model and will only serve to accelerate the corporate takeover of the country.As talks enter their final crucial stages, there are growing concerns over the threat CETA poses to Canadian sovereignty. Coupled with the financial turmoil sweeping Europe, deep economic integration with the EU could prove disastrous.
Brit official goads Philippines on free trade talks with EU
13-Jan-2011 BusinessWorld
A visiting British state official urged the Philippines yesterday to pick up its pace towards starting free trade talks with the European Unio, saying an agreement would boost export sales of all parties involved and also attract more investors into Manila’s public-private partnership projects for infrastructure.
Democrat to revisit Colombia trade pact on trip
13-Jan-2011 Post Chronicle
A senior Democratic lawmaker opposed to a US free trade agreement with Colombia headed to that country on Wednesday to see what progress has been made on labor concerns related to the pact.
Pork industry wants feds to cut a Korean trade deal
13-Jan-2011 Better Farming
Canadian pork producers and packers fear consequences of lagging behind Chile, United States and Europe in key Asian market
India, SACU to sign preferential trade agreement: Sharma
13-Jan-2011 Business Standard
India and South African nations are expected to sign a trade agreement by the middle of this year, which aims at reducing tariffs on certain items traded between the nations, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has said.
EU push for liberal patents finds favour with PMO
13-Jan-2011 Financial Express
Hard lobbying by the European Union, home to many of the world’s largest pharmaceutical firms like Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis and Roche, has struck a chord with India’s Prime Minister’s Office, which is now ’putting pressure’ on a reluctant commerce and industry ministry to include a contentious IPR chapter in the proposed India-EU trade and investment pact.
EU-India FTA - IP chapter (draft Jul 2010)
12-Jan-2011 CIS India
Draft consolidated version of the IPR text in preparation for IPR discussions during the week of 12th July 2010 in Delhi.
New release of IPR chapter of India-EU free trade agreement
12-Jan-2011 CIS
A draft of the IPR chapter of the EU-India FTA, made publicly available for the first time, provides insight into India’s response in July 2010 to several EU proposals on intellectual property protection and enforcement.
Tunisia: EP Maghreb delegation calls for independent inquiry into deadly riots
12-Jan-2011 European Parliament
Members of the European Parliament advocate suspending negotiations for an “advanced status” for Tunisia, complementing its EU Association Agreement (FTA).
India, South Korea set to expand existing trade pact
11-Jan-2011 Livemint
India and South Korea are set to expand a one-year-old bilateral trade pact at a time when India has concluded talks for a more ambitious agreement with Japan.
Rumours linking animal disease with US FTA bewilders Seoul
11-Jan-2011 GNA
Internet postings say the Korean government may not be trying hard to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease since the culling of livestock could help boost sales of American beef.
The EU-South Korea FTA and its implications for the United States
11-Jan-2011 FAS
Some US business representatives argue that enactment of the KOREU FTA before enactment of the KORUS FTA would give European competitors first mover advantages, but US multinational firms operating in the EU could benefit from the KOREU FTA.
Hollywood tries it on at TPP talks
10-Jan-2011 p2pnet
Hollywood wants TPP participants to “introduce statutory penalties for IP infringement, draft new laws regarding ISP liability, reduce the threshold to commercial scale infringement and target torrent search engines”. Look familiar to you?