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Asia

New Zealand part of mystery initiative at request from United States
16-Nov-2017 Stuff
New Zealand appears to have joined a mysterious "regional initiative" at the request of the United States, but the matter is being kept under wraps.
Trump’s trade barbs push Asian nations closer to China’s orbit
15-Nov-2017 Bloomberg
Trump declared his 11-day swing through Asia a success before heading home, saying that “all countries dealing with us on trade know that the rules have changed.”
China’s free trade agreements in South Asia
11-Oct-2017 China Briefings
China is steadily laying the groundwork for its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative program.
Bilateral agreements: Where’s the US?
7-Jul-2017 Farm Journal’s Pork
National Pork Producers have let the administration know that the U.S. should focus on the Asian-Pacific area, starting with Japan.
US in trade talks with Asian nations to replace TPP, commerce secretary says
20-Jun-2017 South China Morning Post
The new trade discussions target multiple countries in Asia, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told reporters at the 2017 SelectUSA investment summit
Pacific Alliance looks to Asia as NAFTA, TPP face uncertainty
22-May-2017 CNBC
Pacific Alliance countries are in talks to expand the trade bloc outside Latin America and into high-growth Asia as the future of established deals, such as NAFTA and the evolving Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), hang in the balance.
Beyond investment protection: group warns of intensified corporate attacks vs people’s rights as ASEAN leaders meet in PH
5-May-2017 People Over Profit
The People Over Profit network together with local civil society organizations in the Philippines warn of intensifying corporate attacks on people’s rights and join calls for an independent, sovereign and peaceful Southeast Asian region.
Europe pushes Asia trade talks with eye on ultimate prize China
4-May-2017 Bloomberg
The flurry has seen the bloc starting or accelerating talks with countries as far afield as New Zealand and Japan. In Asia, though, China remains the outlier for the EU on a long-stalled investment pact, the precursor to an eventual trade deal.
Peru "prefers" FTA with Asia through Pacific Alliance
10-Mar-2017 Latin America Herald Tribune
Peru will try to expand its free trade agreements with countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), but "preferably" through the Pacific Alliance
Canada’s free trade agreements strategy
4-Mar-2017 Global Trade
With EU FTA completed, a pivot to Asia
Asia wants a stronger global role for Europe
16-Feb-2017 EurActiv
The huge uncertainty surrounding the future of US foreign, security and trade policy opens new horizons for the EU in most parts of Asia.
These countries could be Trump’s next trade war targets
14-Feb-2017 Bloomberg
India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam have largely escaped U.S. President Donald Trump’s glare on trade, but he may yet come looking. The U.S. runs trade deficits with all of them, in some cases quite big ones.
La fin du Partenariat transpacifique profitable à la Russie?
28-Jan-2017 RBTH
Le retrait des États-Unis du Partenariat transpacifique permet à la Russie et à la Chine d’intensifier leurs négociations sur la mise en place de zones de libre-échange avec leurs partenaires en Asie.
Offers and counters ahead of RCEP talks
29-Mar-2016 Financial Express
Hard bargaining between potential partners.
SAFTA meet likely next month
25-Mar-2016 The Himalayan Times
The commerce ministers will discuss on enhancing intra-SAARC trade flows under SAFTA and vision for further trade liberalisation by reducing non-tariff and para-tariff barriers.
New mega-treaty in the pipeline: what does RCEP mean for farmers’ seeds in Asia?
9-Mar-2016 GRAIN
RCEP is being negotiated behind closed doors and could sneak into Asia, destroying the livelihoods of billions of people.
Could haze in Asia give rise to treaty claims?
24-Nov-2015 Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
The smoke haze that has engulfed Singapore, Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia for two months could violate international law and be the subject of an investment treaty claim against Indonesia.
ASEAN | SE Asia creates economic community, but challenges remain
23-Nov-2015 Macau Daily Times
Thirteen years after mooting the idea, Southeast Asian leaders formally created a unified economic community.
Behind pomp of APEC summit, crushing poverty endures
20-Nov-2015 Charlotte Observer
Opponents argue the APEC agenda of liberalizing trade further strengthens wealthy nations at the expense of developing countries, who largely can only compete in low wage industries such as garment manufacturing.
APEC ministers welcome progress in creating new trade zone
18-Nov-2015 ABS-CBN
Ministers of 21 Asia-Pacific economies on Tuesday welcomed progress in efforts to establish a region-wide free trade zone as they wrapped up a two-day meeting in Manila.