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ASEAN-India Free Trade Area briefing
27-Feb-2013 Asia Briefing
Backgrounder from Asia Briefing
In search of free trade in Asia
27-Feb-2013 ADB
Intra-Asian trade is rising and so is the number of Asia’s free-trade agreements. Join ADB trade experts Ramesh Subramaniam and Jayant Menon in a live discussion.
DTI officials to prod EU on free trade pact
27-Feb-2013 GMA
Philippine Department of Trade and Industry officials will likely confer the European Union early March on moving forward the ongoing process to forge a free trade agreement that will give the Philippines better access to the world’s single largest market.
China must brace for impact of possible EU-US free trade agreement
27-Feb-2013 Global Times
China could still have certain advantages even after the establishment of a US-EU FTA. The question is: how to maintain and create new competitive advantages?
US-EU trade deal is the foundation for a new global economic order
26-Feb-2013 Be Your Own Leader
There are concerns that the US could use these talks to push the EU to loosen its restrictions on genetically modified crops and foods. In addition, the deal might serve as a backdoor means to implement ACTA which was rejected by the European Parliament last year.
Premier vows to keep ban on US pork containing ractopamine
26-Feb-2013 CNA
Taiwan’s Premier Jiang Yi-hua said Monday that the ban on US pork containing leanness-enhancing drugs will "definitely" not be lifted while he is in office. Jiang was speaking two weeks before the issue is likely to be put on the agenda of an important round of trade talks between Taiwan and the United States.
Parmesan cheese: Thorn in US-EU free-trade agreement?
26-Feb-2013 Global Post
Will Wisconsin dairy farmers accept that only cheese produced in five provinces of northern Italy can carry the name parmesan? Will the French agree to tuck into hormone-infused American beef with a side of genetically modified fries?
S. Korea-Canada FTA to deepen partnership: Canadian governor general
26-Feb-2013 Yonhap
The absence of a free trade deal between South Korea and Canada is the weakest link in their bilateral relations, and the two countries need to conclude one this year to deepen their partnership in a wider range of areas, Canada’s visiting governor general said Tuesday.
Unions seek stronger labour laws in US-EU free trade talks
26-Feb-2013 Left Foot Forward
Just days after it was announced that the USA and the European Union were to open discussions on a free trade agreement worth trillions of dollars, trade unions on both sides of the Atlantic said that employment rights had to be a key issue on the agenda.
Women rally against EU-India Free Trade Agreement
26-Feb-2013 e-Pao.net
A public rally-cum-public meeting against the European Union-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was organized at Namoi Khun yesterday wherein hundreds of people took part.
Promoting women’s economic empowerment through gender responsive trade agreements experiences
26-Feb-2013 Femnet
This report is based on the research done by FEMNET to assess the extent to which trade arrangements between African countries and the European Union facilitate African women’s economic empowerment and realization of their economic rights.
US, Japan agree to negotiation on free trade agreement
23-Feb-2013 Reuters
The United States and Japan on Friday agreed on language aimed at giving Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe political cover to bring the world’s third-largest economy into negotiations on a US-led free trade agreement in the Asia Pacific region.
Cargill settles NAFTA dispute with Mexico
22-Feb-2013 Reuters
Cargill has reached a settlement with Mexico in a dispute that resulted in a $77 million arbitration award for the US agribusiness company
EU negotiator says Canada must give up more to get free-trade deal
22-Feb-2013
Stark differences between Canada and the European Union in their free-trade talks came into focus Thursday when the EU’s chief negotiator said Canada isn’t offering enough concessions to conclude a deal.
Abe readying to announce Japan’s entry into TPP talks
22-Feb-2013
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is making final preparations to announce Japan’s entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade negotiations after holding talks later Friday with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, government sources said.
Beyond tariffs: EU-EPA negotiations for Namibia
22-Feb-2013 The Namibian
As the European Union economic partnership agreement negotiations gain momentum in southern Africa, countries which want to continue to benefit from EU market access will have to sign and fulfill obligations in line with the EPAs. If Namibia does not finalise a new EPA by 2016, it would fall under one of the schemes of the new Generalised System of Preference that affords it fewer trade concessions.
Libre-échange avec l’Europe: Ottawa doit modifier ses positions, dit Bruxelles
22-Feb-2013 Associated Press
Le commissaire européen au Commerce de l’Union européenne (UE) dit espérer pouvoir conclure rapidement l’entente de libre-échange avec le Canada, mais que pour ce faire, Ottawa doit changer ses positions. Le commissaire n’a cependant donné aucun détail.
Trade Commissioner: EU to seek GIs in US FTA, but no new ACTA
22-Feb-2013 IP Watch
EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht said he did not want to reopen the discussion on Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), which he called “a nail to my coffin.” As long as there is no respective EU legislation with regard to copyright protection on the internet, he will not try to “bring it in through the backdoor,” he said.
Labor unions reject Colombia-South Korea FTA
21-Feb-2013 Prensa Latina
The signing tomorrow of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Colombia and South Korea raised in Bogotá the rejection of the unions, which see it as an attack on the industry and the productive and agriculture sector.
Reko Diq saga: Balochistan wins again
20-Feb-2013
Amidst continuing violence plaguing Balochistan, there is now a cause of joy for the Baloch people and the government.