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agriculture | farmers | food

Canada, Costa Rica to modernize F.T.A.
30-Aug-2010
Canada and Costa Rica have agreed to work toward modernizing the existing bilateral free-trade agreement, announced Peter Van Loan, Canada’s minister of international trade, who just concluded his five-day, four-country visit to Latin America.
Korea denies new concessions on U.S. FTA
25-Aug-2010
Korea yesterday denied a U.S. media report that it planned to make new “concessions” to secure the ratification of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement from the U.S. Congress.
Third farm bill hearing focuses on trade policy
13-Aug-2010
The agriculture community heard directly from U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk recently on trade priorities that have stalled despite their importance to the industry’s market share around the world.
Indonesia says restriction on beef imports will protect domestic industry
12-Aug-2010 Live Trading News
Indonesia’s restriction on beef imports from New Zealand is aimed at protecting local breeders, a spokesman of the Trade Ministry said, as the dispute goes to the upcoming ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA forum.
US Trade Delegation Makes SOS Trip to Columbia
11-Aug-2010
More than 100 industrialists from the US are touring Columbia to identify potential areas of trade, and maximize their business prospects under the new regime before it is too late as the new president of Columbia is equi-distant in ideology with all schools of thoughts in the Americas.
National body to monitor flood of imports
8-Aug-2010
The Ministry of Trade and Industry is in the process of establishing a national body under the 2002 Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Agreement.
Kirk: Korea-US FTA Renegotiations Will Only Focus on Beef and Auto
8-Aug-2010
United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk says it is unlikely that other clauses will be included when bilateral talks are held to address Washington’s concerns on beef and auto regarding the Korea-US free trade agreement.
Indian milk protests could harm Free Trade deal
31-Jul-2010 3 News NZ
Shiv Shena protestors angry over their government’s dairy deal with NZ giant Fonterra drained valuable milk from a tanker and are threatening to torch a Fonterra shipment next month.
R-CALF proposes renegotiation of FTAs
22-Jul-2010 Farm Futures
R-CALF USA sent a letter to President Obama Tuesday requesting a moratorium on future FTAs and rejection of the pending FTAs with Colombia, Korea and Panama until the impacts current FTAs have on the profitability and viability of US producers is assessed.
EU wine diplomacy and Indian exports
18-Jun-2010 IWA
The EU has many bilateral agreements on wine in order to aggressively protect its corporate interests
France, Spain, Italy jointly ask to quit EU-Morocco FTA
18-Jun-2010 Green Med
The fresh produce organizations members of the Joint French-Spanish-Italian Committee wrote to the European Parliament to claim their vote against the renewal of the EU-Morocco Association Agreement.
Businesses urged to capitalise on free trade deals
17-Jun-2010
New Zealand should be looking to become the food bowl of Asia and use free trade agreements to do it, according to financial services firm KPMG.
AMI White Paper: FTAs create billions in revenue, thousands of new industry jobs
16-Jun-2010 AMI
The US meat industry is doing all it can to get ratification of pending US trade agreements, so it can sell more product overseas (just when the US Department of Agriculture is calling on US residents to lower their meat consumption to improve health).
EU-Morocco food products agreement
15-Jun-2010 EuroJar
After four years of intensive negotiations between the European Union and Morocco, the agreement on trade in food products has been initialed. It still needs to be concluded after adoption by the European Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. And yet, this initiative is not receiving unanimous support.
FTA implementation crucial to US pork industry
11-Jun-2010 Pork Magazine
“We believe that implementation of the US free trade agreement with Korea (KORUS) is the single most important trade issue to the US pork industry,” says Nick Giordano, vice president, international affairs for the National Pork Producers Council.
Australian farm leaders reassure Japanese about effects of free trade deal
10-Jun-2010 ABC Rural
Masahiko Yamada, Japan’s new agriculture minister, has blogged about how the Australian free trade agreement would destroy Japanese agriculture. Australian farm industry leaders are in Tokyo trying to change his mind.
Japan hardliner hits FTA hopes
9-Jun-2010
Japan’s new Prime Minister has installed an eccentric arch protectionist and former beef and pork farmer in the agriculture and fisheries portfolio, dealing a blow to Australia’s hopes of finalising a free trade agreement.
US, EU sign deal to end long banana dispute
9-Jun-2010 AFP
The United States said Tuesday it had signed an agreement with the European Union aimed at ending a longstanding dispute over banana tariffs.
Bananas: Geneva Agreement signed, bilaterals cut tariffs further
3-Jun-2010 ICTSD
The Geneva Agreement on Trade in Bananas cuts the EU’s multilateral banana tariff in gradual steps while its bilateral tariff on bananas from Peru, Colombia and six Central American countries will be slashed still further.
EU-LatAm trade deals dangerous for both sides says José Bové
19-May-2010 Euronews
“I think these agreements are dangerous for South American producers and for European producers. For example, the agro-food industry today wants to export huge amounts of milk, to try to offload surplus; that’s only for its benefit. It risks harming major milk producers Uruguay, Argentina and others.”