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Trade accord with US
Security has been so dominant in the past in Seoul’s relations with Washington, its sole military ally, that other crucial agenda items have often failed to draw adequate attention from top South Korean policymakers.
US presses S. Korea on issues blocking FTA negotiations
The US Trade Representative (USTR), raising doubts about South Korea’s commitment to a bilateral free trade agreement, pressed the Asian trading partner Tuesday to be "unambiguous" in supporting it.
US FTA seen as threat to Thai identity
The free trade agreement with the United States threatens Thailand’s ecological biodiversity and cultural uniqueness, researchers warned yesterday. Visut Baimai, director of the Biodiversity Research and Training Programme, said he feared the FTA would accelerate deforestation to grow profitable single-crop plantations. This, he said, could undermine both the ecosystem and sustainable economic development.
US official criticizes ’screen quota’
The long-standing screen quota issue is a major stumbling block to a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) between Korea and the US, according to a senior US government official.
The big steal
Most observers realise the existence of a parallel economy in Pakistan and the integral role that it plays in the overall financial system. The underground piracy economy is estimated at billions of rupees, providing employment to thousands of people. So no one is complaining. No one except the corporations and Uncle Sam.
Patenting rice: A matter of serious royal concern
The prospect of including in many FTAs, especially the Thai-US one, issues like intellectual property and agriculture, could have implications on the survival or disappearance of the Thai rice culture
No FTA talks until Seoul resumes beef imports: US
US Trade Representative Rob Portman on Friday said Korea must resume import of U.S. beef and lift a screen quota that disadvantages Hollywood films if it wants to start negotiating a free trade agreement with Washington.
Korea, US to discuss FTA in Cheju meeting
South Korea will discuss the possibility of a free trade pact with the United States at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers’ meeting.
UN Cultural Diversity treaty negotiations to tackle trade/investment treaty relationship
One of many vexing questions remaining to be worked out by negotiators of the draft convention for the protection of the diversity of cultural products and artistic expression will be the relationship between the proposed convention and existing and future trade and investment treaties which may apply to cultural industries and which might impose restrictions on government cultural policies.
FTA with EU looks more imminent than ever
The stage is being developed for a fast-track free trade agreement (FTA) between the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council and 25-member European Union. Possibly, the EU has felt the urge to sign an FTA with the GCC now that the US has moved to reach bilateral agreements with individual GCC states.
Mideast building trade ties with US
The Bush administration’s plan: to negotiate a series of trade agreements that would eventually fuse one of the world’s most economically and politically unstable regions into a giant free-trade zone.
Moroccan Ambassador meets with businesses to discuss US-Morocco FTA
Ambassador Mekouar’s stop in Los Angeles is part of an aggressive effort to inform US businesses about the Free Trade Agreement.
Call for a citizen’s popular consultation Concerning the Free Trade Agreement
The experience of the countries that have been put under the neoliberal policies and the FTA, the results of the economic opening imposed by the Government of President Gaviria, the process of negotiation between Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and the USA, puts in evidence that the right to democratic and popular consultation and resistance is justified.
Recent FTAs of the US as illustrations of their new strategy for the audiovisual sector
US trade strategy is shifting: USTR may be willing to make concessions to countries that want to require local content or ownership in ’traditional’ AV sector, ie film and radio; however, no such requirements will be allowed in the category of ’electronic commmerce.’ This is because USTR (and MPAA) expect all cultural content (films, television, music) to be transmitted digitally in the near future.
Korea must choose between FTA and screen quota: US Ambassador
US ambassador to Korea Christopher Hill said on Monday that the Korean government and people had to choose between an FTA and Korea’s screen quota system.
Korean screen quota system in dispute - again
The dispute about Korea`s screen quota system is flaring up again, with government officials squaring off against the local movie industry over whether the "protectionist" measure should be scrapped.
Bahrein: FTA faces delay
A Free Trade Agreement between Bahrain and the US was signed last month but will not come into effect until it has been ratified by the US Congress, now in recess for the presidential election.
Entertainment Industry Coalition For Free Trade Hails U.S. - Australia Free Trade Agreement
The Entertainment Industry Coalition for Free Trade (EIC), a group of leading entertainment companies, trade associations and entertainment unions and guilds, today applauded the conclusion of the U.S. - Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Selling off a slice of our country
The funny thing about the free trade agreement with the United States is that Australians and Americans see it as being about completely different things. Australia’s businesspeople see it as about eliminating the barriers to exports and imports between the two countries, which they regard as a good thing.
Seoul film industry rallies to keep quota
A star-studded film about two brothers caught on opposite sides of the Korean War broke all box-office records here this year.