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ASEAN

What ails India’s Free Trade Agreements?
9-Mar-2020 Financial Express
Lack of harmonised standards, and certification issues that increase transaction costs plague India’s FTAs
The European Commission’s palm oil conundrum
28-Feb-2020 East Asia Forum
With new regulatory changes now taking place on the basis of the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED) II of 2018, Indonesia and Malaysia are trying to come to terms with the implications for their global palm oil market strategy and domestic production.
EU eyes FTAs with Asean as a whole
24-Feb-2020 Bangkok Post
The EU has expressed interest in pursuing a number of free trade agreements (FTAs) in the region, not only with Thailand but eventually with Asean as a whole, says EU-Asean Business Council Chairman Donald Kanak.
Vietnam: Asean economic integration meeting in Hanoi a success
18-Feb-2020 The Star
Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Trần Quốc Khánh talks to Vietnam News Agency about what went on at the recent meeting on Asean economic integration in Hanoi.
Singapore and New Zealand ratify upgraded trade agreement
10-Feb-2020 ASEAN Briefing
In late December 2019, Singapore and New Zealand ratified the upgraded Closer Economic Partnership (ANZSCEP) agreement. The agreement came into force on January 1, 2020.
India absent from RCEP special negotiating talks in Indonesia
4-Feb-2020 Kyodo News
India was absent from two days of talks on a sprawling Asia-Pacific free trade agreement in Indonesia that ended Tuesday, fueling speculation that it may withdraw from the negotiations.
ASEAN Secretariat invites India for RCEP meeting in February in Bali
22-Jan-2020 Deccan Herald
The ASEAN Secretariat has invited India to participate in a meeting called in Bali on February 3 and 4 on RCEP agreement to sort out concerns of New Delhi.
What does India’s RCEP withdrawal tell us? – Analysis
21-Jan-2020 Eurasia Review
Given the current ease and widespread access to information as well as the social media-facilitated civil mobilizations across the globe, political elites of the RCEP countries should be consistently mindful of such risk from the grassroot level.
India has left RCEP behind, but not its ambition in Southeast Asia
13-Jan-2020 The Interpreter
India’s decision in the final months of last year to withdraw from negotiations for the mega-regional trade agreement known as the RCEP disappointed the countries of Southeast Asia, which are also members of the ASEAN.
RoK seeks stronger ties with ASEAN to accelerate RCEP
7-Jan-2020 Vietnam Plus
The Republic of Korea (RoK) will spare no efforts to help conclude the RCEP by the end of this year by forging deeper ties with the ASEAN, as the country strives to revitalise its ailing exports
Korea in FTA talks with Asian, South American powerhouses
6-Jan-2020 Korea Herald
South Korea has secured 16 free trade partners — 12 countries and four trade blocs — around the globe since it started pursuing bilateral free trade agreements two decades ago.
PH trade deficit ‘alarming,’ says BOI official
3-Jan-2020 Rappler
The trade deficit of the Philippines has been growing at a “quite alarming” rate, said Board of Investments (BOI) executive director Ma. Corazon Dichosa.
Is free trade dead?
22-Dec-2019 National Interest
Conflict over trade dominated the economic headlines in 2019, so it’s surprising that the year ended with significant progress on three trade agreements.Each tells a different story about the outlook both for the global economy and for relations between nations.
Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo agree to accelerate trilateral FTA talks
22-Dec-2019 Korea Herald
Top trade officials from South Korea, China and Japan agreed to accelerate their trilateral free trade talks and ramp up efforts to conclude a mega Asia-Pacific trade deal.
Is there an EU-ASEAN trade deal on the horizon?
18-Dec-2019 ASEAN Today
the EU will no doubt push for FTAs with further ASEAN states. But with each bilateral trade agreement, the need for a regional agreement recedes. As each nation opens up to tariff-free trade with the EU, the need for an overarching regional FTA diminishes.
Delhi dialogues opportunity for ASEAN to convince India to rejoin RCEP
17-Dec-2019 The Jakarta Post
Regional dialogues on Indo-Pacific cooperation set to be held in New Delhi this weekend will provide ASEAN countries with an opportunity to persuade India to rejoin a landmark trade deal it walked away from last month.
RCEP did not adequately address India’s concerns, will review trade deal with ASEAN: Govt in Rajya Sabha
11-Dec-2019 Financial Express
The RCEP did not "adequately" address India’s concerns over issues like non-tariff barriers to trade and opaqueness in subsidy regime in some countries, which forced it to back out from the trade deal, the Indian government informed.
How India-Korea CEPA impacted domestic markets
11-Dec-2019 Money Control
Among the FTAs which have affected Indian domestic industry adversely, the India-Korea CEPA, signed in 2009, has been significant.
‘With or without India’: 15 member countries decide to sign RCEP on 13 March
10-Dec-2019 The Print
Nearly a month after India decided against joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the remaining 15 member countries Monday decided to sign the proposed free trade pact by 13 March.
India-ASEAN FTA review could include further liberalisation of trade in goods
3-Dec-2019 Outlook India
The proposed scope of the review of the free trade agreement between India and ASEAN could include issues like customs procedures, further liberalisation of trade in goods and exchange of data