EPAs
PNG to call on EU for a review of the current interim Economic Partnership Agreement. PNG is ready to look into new investments, new industry developments, new commercial services, infrastructure for trade and increase volume of trade in goods.
Tanzania is in talks with EU to resolve some technicalities and will only sign the agreement after all its issues have been ironed out.
How the Global South is affected by the current trade turmoil – and old patterns of power.
To avoid trade disruption, SACU+Mozambique and UK have decided to roll-over the EPA into a standalone trade agreement with the UK.
The UK-Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Trade Continuity Agreement is meant to replicate the Economic Partnership Agreement that the East African Community is yet to sign with the European Union.
The island states Comoros and Samoa have joined the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and the group of countries from their respective regions. The EU now has 40 trade agreements in place with 72 countries.
Negotiators are hoping to break the back on talks for the successor to the Cotonou Agreement, which expires in May 2020, between the EU and 79 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP).
The discussion on the EPA took place during the East Africa Community summit, with Tanzania insisting that it must be allowed more time to send experts to EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, to present its grievances.
Japan and Turkey will hold talks in Tokyo on a bilateral economic partnership agreement.
East African countries can individually sign separate trade agreements with the European Union if a joint deal is not reached within the next four months.
Kenya is asking that EAC partner states adopt the variable geometry, a move that would be viewed as counter to regional integration.
African countries, backed by the EU, want internal and external free trade, which will wreck local agriculture, and rural economies and societies.
Hong Kong signed an agreement with China to allow goods of Hong Kong origin to enter the China without tariffs, made as part of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) initiative.
The Southern African Customs Union is close to finalising a deal with the UK to replicate the existing economic partnership agreement which the customs union has with the EU, says South African trade and industry minister.
Japan’s parliament approved an economic partnership agreement with the EU, clearing a key hurdle for the tariff-cutting pact to take effect next year.
Namibia’s Presidential Advisor for Private Sector said that Namibia is at an advanced stage of finalising the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) implementation plan and has begun implementing the plan’s crucial aspects.
Latest book by economist Jacques Berthelot insists that West Africa will lose out if it signs the economic ’partnership’ agreement with the European Union.
The United Kingdom says it will honour the current Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) with PNG and other ACP member states that have existing preferential trade relations with the European Union, after Brexit.
Trade unions from Africa and Europe have followed with grave concern the negotiation and conclusion of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and regional groupings in Africa.
If the EU is to seize the economic opportunities that Africa offers, it will need to work with the continent’s leaders to forge a new kind of partnership that treats African countries as equals. Simply put, the new EU-Africa relationship must be based on trade, not aid.
