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bilateralism & multilateralism


Swiss look to free trade after WTO failure
Switzerland is looking to boost its free trade accords with other countries following the collapse of world trade talks, says the country’s top economics official.
Kenyan Minister warns against bilateral trade deals
The Kenyan Trade Minister, Mukhisha Kituyi, today spoke up against the danger of countries running to negotiate bilateral and regional trade deals with the impasse of the Doha negotiations at the World Trade Organisation.
WTO’s Lamy warns about bilateral deals
Poor nations will lose out if major global trade players opt for bilateral deals instead of working toward a global trade pact, WTO director general Pascal Lamy said Tuesday.
Prospects for IT-enabled services under a Indo-US FTA
ITES/BPO services is an important and growing component of India’s trade in services with the US. While the Indian government has implemented several measures to support the growth of this sector, Indian companies face various barriers in the US market such as anti-outsourcing regulations, restrictive visa/work permit regime and concerns relating to protection of sensitive data.
Services liberalization in the new generation of Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs): How much further than the GATS?
A comprehensive overview of services liberalization commitments in the new generation of preferential trade agreements as compared to prevailing GATS commitments and Doha Round offers.
Mandelson plans bilateral trade deals despite WTO setback
The European Union will use bilateral trade deals to "road test" measures deemed too sensitive to be included in the stalled global WTO liberalisation negotiations, Peter Mandelson said last night.
Bilateral agreements in EU trade policy
Speech by Peter Mandelson at the London School of Economics on 9 October 2006
Mandelson announces EU bilateral trade drive
Often caught between the whims of protectionist and liberal member states, the European Commission on Wednesday firmly tied its colours to a liberal mast proposing a trade policy revamp focused on new markets and stamping out protectionism.
ADB official calls for Asia-wide free trade area
Major obstacles block Asia’s prospects of becoming a common market, but a region-wide free-trade area is a realistic goal, an Asian Development Bank official said.
Merkel for EU Agreement with US
With the Doha Round of trade talks threatening to come to naught, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has come up with a plan B: a free-trade zone with the US. Such a zone would encompass 60 percent of the global economy.
Children of the WTO
World Trade Organization talks collapsed in July 2006 over strong internal disagreements on agricultural policy. While social activists throughout the world cheered, policy-makers in the U.S. and Canada started aggressively pursuing bilateral trade accords or Free Trade Agreements [FTAs].
Global trade no longer hostage to US consumers
Europe, Japan and emerging economies are weaning themselves from dependence on the American consumer, and economists say it’s just in time.
Philippine congress urged to investigate Japan-RP FTA
The recently signed free trade agreement between the Philippines and Japan may have given economic concessions to Japan that go beyond Philippine commitments to the World Trade Organization (WTO), a Filipino opposition legislator today warned.
IP rights under investment agreements: the TRIPS-plus implications for enforcement and protection of public interest
One of the issues that has recently started to influence the negotiations for new investment agreements involves the question of the status of IP rights and the impact of investment agreements on the rights, obligations and regulatory discretions of countries under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspect of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
France eyes bilateral trade deals after WTO failure
France intends to target the Gulf, India, Asia and the Mediterranean basin in a push towards bilateral trade deals following the collapse of global free trade talks, Trade Minister Christine Lagarde said on Tuesday.
The Philippine struggle against neoliberal globalization
A PowerPoint file presented at the FTA Workshop in Bangkok on July 28, 2006.
The failed WTO talks and EPAs negotiations
ACP countries cannot continue with the EPAs agenda as if the failed WTO talks are irrelevant to the EPAs context. An option would be to take advantage of the proposed review of the Cotonou Agreement upon which the EPAs negotiations are based. ACP countries should not wait for the EU to do this for them.
Making or missing the links?
While much attention focuses on international trade negotiations, developing countries also introduce trade reforms nationally as part of World-Bank supported economic adjustment programmes.
China to advance bilateral and regional free trade negotiation
China will not shy away from using bilateral or regional free trade agreements to facilitate trade, the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday. The remarks came after WTO chief Pascal Lamy warned that China’s pursuit of separate bilateral and regional free trade agreements would harm its long-term commercial interests.
Beijing condemns protectionism
China has voiced its concern over increasing trade protectionism by its counterparts, which it sees as the main threat to its competitiveness in the world market.