bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo

corporate interests

US Council for International Business (USCIB) comments on US-Korea FTA
19-Sep-2006 USCIB Website
24 March 2006 letter from USCIB to US Trade Representative’s office regarding the proposed US-Korea Free Trade Agreement.
Canada Agri-Food Trade Alliance: Comments on free trade negotiations with Korea
18-Sep-2006 Canada Agri-Food Trade Alliance
Canada Agri-Food Trade Alliance Comments on Free Trade Negotiations with Korea, House Standing Committee on International Trade, June 14 2006.
Nippon Keidanren - Recommendation: "Expectations for the Early Conclusion of the Japan-Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)"
17-Sep-2006 Nippon Keidanren
Japan and Indonesia held intergovernmental negotiations four times from July 2005 to April 2006 regarding the conclusion of a bilateral economic partnership agreement (EPA). The EPA negotiations timetable for Japan recently released by the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy states that Japan will aim to reach an agreement with Indonesia in principle on major points of the negotiations by sometime this summer.
Japan business wants Aussie partnership
17-Sep-2006
The Japan Business Federation, the nation’s most powerful business lobby, proposed that Japan promptly launch negotiations with Australia to conclude an economic partnership agreement.
IBSA business leaders debate ways to deepen relations
14-Sep-2006
Indian, Brazilian, and South African business leaders have identified key issues that have to be addressed to allow the more rapid development of broader and deeper economic relations between the three countries.
High noon for Korea’s NAFTA
9-Sep-2006 GNN
Underneath the radar of the mainstream media, the US and South Korea are negotiating a “free trade agreement” that, if signed, will be the largest such agreement since NAFTA was passed in 1994. Hence, it’s a massive issue for US and Korean workers, and has been arousing massive opposition.
Big businesses rap US for call on Chaebol control
7-Sep-2006
The Federation of Korean Industries, Korea’s biggest business lobby group, has raised its voice against the United States’ demand for stricter rules on chaebols or family-run conglomerates in the free trade agreement talks between the two countries.
US-Korea FTA talks bogging down
7-Sep-2006
During the third round of FTA negotiations between Korea and the US that started on September 6, the US required that trade related laws including fair trade laws should be strictly applied to the Korean companies including large conglomerates (known as Chae-bol) and this be clearly stated in an FTA agreement.
Wal-Mart, GE, and GM detail FTA best practices
2-Sep-2006 IATP Trade Observatory
US exports to nations with which the United States has negotiated a free trade agreement (FTA) are growing at double the rate of US exports in general. That striking statistic was just one of many provided by the panel "Can More FTAs Lead to Freer Trade?" at the recent New York conference of the American Association of Exporters & Importers.
Eli Lilly’s CEO calls for Japan-US Economic Integration Agreement
31-Aug-2006 Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company chairman and CEO, Sidney Taurel, today made the case for a Japan-US Economic Integration Agreement, and urged private groups to help lay the groundwork for such a free-trade deal. He also expressed optimism regarding a favorable conclusion of the US-Korea negotiations over a free-trade agreement, arguing that "both sides understand the symbolic as well as the practical benefits of what they are trying to accomplish."
Court denies Occidental bid for assets - Ecuador
24-Aug-2006
An international arbitration court has rejected a request by Occidental Petroleum Corp. to stop Ecuador from seizing its assets in the Andean country, a government official said on Tuesday.
Conclude an Economic Partnership Agreement between Japan and India at an early date - Nippon Keidanren
23-Aug-2006 Nippon Keidanren
A plea from the Japan Business Federation for a Japan-India FTA, outlining what the corporations would like it to provide.
Patent or patient? How Washington uses trade deals to protect drugs
23-Aug-2006 Financial Times
The controversy over the impact of bilateral trade agreements on public health poses particular difficulties for the Geneva-based WHO, which is gearing up for the highly political election of a new director-general.
Could US firms be left in the cold?
22-Aug-2006
US enterprises are chafing at the bit to get into Vietnam, yet many business heads are concerned that if Congress does not establish permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with their former foe, then firms from other countries will have a trade advantage.
Japan draws up Nikai initiative to boost regional trade
20-Aug-2006 The Star
The Japanese private sector is pivotal in pushing the initiative, as they want to dangle what is undoubtedly a carrot for Asean countries to propel the proposed East Asia Free Trade Area (EAFTA).
CEOs will focus on NAFTA region
20-Aug-2006
The region covered by the North American Free Trade Agreement will loom large as chief executives across all industries plot their growth in 2007, according to a survey commissioned by the New York Stock Exchange. The executives listed the US and China as the top two "strategically important" countries.
Too many trade pacts seen driving up costs
15-Aug-2006 INQ7
The proliferation of regional and bilateral free trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific, coupled with the failure of global trade talks, is driving up transaction costs for business despite the decrease in tariffs.
Azurix wins $165 million vs Argentina in latest ICSID ruling
15-Aug-2006
Former Enron Corp. (ENE) water unit Azurix Corp. has been awarded $165 million against Argentina in the latest ruling on dozens of international arbitration claims brought against the country by foreign companies. A person familiar with the situation confirmed Tuesday that both parties were informed Monday of the decision by a tribunal at the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, or the ICSID.
Federal Express to benefit from Malaysia-US FTA
5-Aug-2006 Bernama
Federal Express Services (M) Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp, says it will gain from the implementation of the US-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Canada: The Occidental Tourist - Expropriation Claim Tests BIT Efficacy
31-Jul-2006
The outcome of Occidental Petroleum’s latest dispute with Ecuador will be an important test of the effectiveness of BITs in protecting overseas investor rights in volatile political climates.