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finance | banking | taxes

Sitharaman-EU trade commissioner meeting next week on FTA
26-May-2015 PTI
India Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will meet her EU counterpart Cecila Malmstrom next week to take stock of the proposed FTA at political level, an EU envoy said, stating that taxation will not be part of the trade deal’s coverage.
Canada just threw a grenade into Elizabeth Warren’s trade fight with Obama
17-May-2015 Huffington Post
Last week, Canadian Finance Minister Joe Oliver gave a speech in New York arguing that the Volcker Rule — a key tenet of the US’ 2010 banking law — violates the North American Free Trade Agreement. This underscores Senator Warren’s warning that such deals, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership that Obama is currently negotiating, jeopardize financial reform.
First hearing opens over Lone Star asset sell-offs in Korea
15-May-2015
An international tribunal began hearing a multi-billion dollar case Friday that the US private equity firm Lone Star filed against South Korea’s government over tax and other disputes surrounding its asset sell-offs in Korea.
Asean Economic Community launch will see rise in trade flows, but also more problems: OCBC chief
24-Apr-2015 Business Times
The launch of the Asean Economic Community this year will see an increase in trade flows, but also more problems such as money laundering and fraud, OCBC Bank chief executive Samuel Tsien said on Wednesday.
Insurers lead moves to include financial services in TTIP
23-Apr-2015 EurActiv
Insurers from the US and EU are amongst leading backers of a financial services chapter within the Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP), although the US remains opposed officially.
Draft bilateral investment pact keeps tax disputes, contracts out of arbitration
3-Apr-2015 Indian Express
The finance ministry has drafted a fresh bilateral investment protection treaty that would keep taxation measures and issuance of compulsory licences for intellectual property rights out of the sphere of arbitration while preventing foreign investors to drag India to arbitration for any dispute that has already been settled by the courts.
CBDT on Cairn: Tax matters not covered under UK-India BIT
30-Mar-2015 CNBC
According to sources ay India’s Central Board of Direct Taxes, tax matters are not covered under UK-India bilateral Investment treaty (BIT).
US, India plan joint investment treaty for easing business
26-Mar-2015 Press Trust of India
"With India now having concluded its own model bilateral investment treaty (BIT) framework, we are poised to be able to engage with the Indians and commence in negotiations on a bilateral investment treaty," the US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia said.
The ’Law 42’ arbitrations against Ecuador and the importance of BIT language
9-Feb-2015 JD Supra
Three recent ICSID decisions involving Ecuador highlight the importance of language addressing the status of taxes in investment treaties.
Trade In Services Agreement: Goodbye privacy, hello censorship
31-Dec-2014 Counter Punch
Internet privacy and net neutrality would become things of the past if the secret Trade In Services Agreement comes to fruition.
Elizabeth Warren: Obama trade deal could undermine Wall Street reform
19-Dec-2014 Huffington Post
US Senator Elizabeth Warren on Wednesday warned that a major trade deal being negotiated by the Obama administration could hamstring Wall Street reform efforts.
Investor state dispute settlement and financial crises
12-Dec-2014 WEED
The film explains how the settlement works and why it endangers necessary governmental rescue measures in financial crises as occurred in Greece, Cypress and Argentina.
Congressional Financial Services Committee leaders: Exclude ISDS from US-EU deal
4-Dec-2014 Public Citizen
US congressional leaders have just sent a letter to the Obama administration warning against TAFTA/TTIP provisions that could restrict Congress’ ability to prevent another financial crisis.
The increasing appeal and novel use of bilateral investment treaties
3-Dec-2014 Skadden
State measures that reduce or nullify existing creditor rights, such as the Argentine “Lock Law” or similar moratoria on repayment, may violate BIT rights and supply investors and creditors in other jurisdictions, particularly in the eurozone, with a basis for challenging similar measures.
Leaked documents on TTIP
19-Nov-2014 ARD
Leaked TTIP negotiating documents show that the EU is trying to protect European banks from strong American financial regulations.
Korea-China FTA signaling tectonic upheaval in domestic financial industry
12-Nov-2014 Business Korea
The Korean government and financial institutions are planning to more than double the ratio of yuan-based trade settlements next year after the conclusion of the Korea-China FTA.
EU trade pact could weaken Ottawa’s power to regulate banks
8-Sep-2014 Toronto Star
Under CETA, the scope for foreign banks to launch investor-state challenges is much broader than in Canada’s other major pact of this type: the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Irish regulator: put derivatives on TTIP agenda
9-Jul-2014 Hedge Funds Review
The Central Bank of Ireland’s markets director believes TTIP is the ideal forum to iron out differences over substituted compliance and establish agreement on monitoring and data collection systems
FTA opens up Japan’s $5 trillion market
8-Jul-2014 AAP
The financial services industry appears to be a winner under the landmark free trade agreement negotiated between the Abbott government and Japan.
TTIP won’t let big banks wriggle out of regulations, EU negotiators insist
2-Jul-2014 IB Times
The European Commission denies that it is using the negotiations over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership to weaken financial regulation for the benefit of financial institutions.