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Access to medecines and the TPP: Open letter to the PM of Canada
Delivered by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network
Turkey: Not making eyes at the Eurasian Union — for now
After 26 years of frustration over its start-and-stop bid to join the European Union, would Turkey ever consider joining a rival regional bloc led by the Kremlin? Few observers believe it likely, but it’s not completely out of the question.
Korea-China FTA: Latest round of talks includes liberalization of some farm products, noted controversies
The Korean government revealed its intention to open the agricultural sector during the first round of the so-called “second phase negotiations” for a free trade agreement between South Korea and China, showing its will to accelerate the FTA negotiation.
#Maori culture could be trademarked by TPP multinationals
The scary thing about the TPP is that it won’t only affect indigenous free-hold land, nor will it just push our people further into poverty. The TPP will give multinationals the right to exploit and rape the ecosystem and further aid them in the acquiring of enforced trademarking and copyrighting of indigenous intellectual property and cultural/traditional knowledge.
Aussie sugar could get sweet FTA
The Australian Sugar Industry Alliance is demanding sugar’s inclusion in the Trans Pacific Partnership after it was left out of the US FTA in 2008.
EU-Singapore free trade agreement: the missing chapter
The European Union and Singapore initialled a free trade agreement on September 20 2013 that is expected to enter into force in late 2014 or early 2015. The agreement includes an investment chapter which is still under negotiation and thus missing from the text of the signed agreement.
EU holds India responsible for delay in FTA talks
The European Union has blamed India for the delay in conclusion of the free trade agreement being negotiated by the two for the last six years.
Facing Russian threat, Ukraine halts plans for deals with EU
Under threat of crippling trade sanctions by Russia, Ukraine announced Thursday that it had suspended its plans to sign far-reaching political and trade agreements with the European Union and said it would instead pursue new partnerships with a competing trade bloc of former Soviet states.
Trade pact would make internet services more expensive
The TPP may effectively force the entire Internet Service Provider (ISP) industry to become the street cops for the movie and music industry.
How an EU-US free trade agreement will affect the energy sector
Energy has not been making headlines in the context of these talks, but a TTIP will have far-reaching implications for the energy sector, e.g. with regard to oil sands, LNG and shale gas.
Trade-talk protesters push limit, then back off
Will Munger, of Utah Tar Sands Resistance, said his group wasn’t trying to get arrested. Instead they were raising their voices against what they fear will be a trade pact that encourages the export of methane gas from the United States to other nations.
RI halts cooperation with OZ, mulls more
Jakarta has upped the ante in the spying row with Canberra by officially suspending cooperation on preventive measures against boat people and mulling the suspension of free trade negotiations with its southern neighbor.
Trade talks open in Utah, but secrecy spurs protests
Outside Salt Lake City’s Grand America Hotel on Tuesday, the rains fell, the speakers rose, the marchers chanted. Inside, top trade negotiators from the US and 11 other Pacific Rim nations perhaps discussed imports and exports, profits and products, prices and patents. The exact topics aren’t known. The talks were closed.
FTA increases export of US produce to S Korea
In March 2012, the South Korea- US KORUS FTA eliminated a 24 per cent tariffs on US cherries. By the end of 2012, 5,897 tonnes of US cherries had been exported to South Korea, almost double the quantity the previous year.
Bahrain-US trade doubles over FTA
Addressing a seminar at the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) in Sanabis yesterday, Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Hassan Fakhro said bilateral trade has grown from about $1.1 billion in 2006 to about $2bn last year, as Bahrain was given tariff-free access to the world’s largest economy, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.
Jailbreaking and unlocking might be restricted in treaty pushed by Obama
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) treaty pushed by the Obama administration could complicate efforts to loosen restrictions on jailbreaking and unlocking smartphones, tablets, or other consumer electronics
Indonesia could stall trade negotiations
There are fears Indonesia could stall the trade negotiations with Australia because of the diplomatic run-in between Jakarta and Canberra.
S’pore hopes for early ratification of EU-S’pore Free Trade Agreement
Singapore is pushing for early ratification of the agreement so that it may come into force by 2015
TPP - draft IP chapter (30 Aug 2013)
Cameroon to ratify economic partnership deal with EU amid doubts
Cameroon will soon ratify the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) that it signed in 2009 with the European Union, despite reservations among regional African countries over the bloc’s alleged attempt to keep its dominance on its African partners.