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New Delhi not to freely ink trade pacts with controlled economies
17-Dec-2007 Economic Times
The Indian government may take a cautious approach while negotiating free trade agreements with countries such as China that do not have a market-driven exchange rate policy.
US couple sues over income-trust taxes
31-Oct-2007 Globe and Mail
A Chicago couple is launching a challenge under the North American Free Trade Agreement after they lost money when the Canadian government opted to tax income trusts last year.
East Africa: Ministers move to protect industries from threats of EPAs
30-Oct-2007 AllAfrica.com
East African trade ministers have thrown a new spanner in the works as the countdown to the December 31, 2007 deadline for signing a new trade partnership deal with the industrialized EU states narrows to less than 60 days. The ministers held a secret meeting in Nairobi away from the full glare of anti-globolisation activists and agreed to sign the contentious Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) only if an amendment ensuring that the region’s taxation regime remained intact.
Singapore bank secrecy threatens EU trade talks - MEP
3-Oct-2007 Reuters
Singapore’s refusal to soften its strict bank secrecy laws could scupper talks with Europe about a trade agreement, a European politician said on Tuesday.
Why is our trade policy benefitting tax cheats?
6-Sep-2007 AlterNet
The pending US trade agreement with Panama isn’t really about trade. It’s about foreign investor rights, money laundering, and tax dodging.
The end of the age of free trade
1-Aug-2007 Voltaire.net
The Russian government presented three days ago a draft law stipulating that selling the shares of any strategic company to foreign investors is prohibited unless it is approved by a special governmental committee headed by the Prime Minister.
Chile, Canada expand free trade pact
18-Jul-2007 Forbes
Canada and Chile marked the 10th anniversary of their free trade agreement Tuesday, vowing to expand the accord to financial services and other areas.
US government told Korea FTA to aid financial services access, telecoms, exports
20-Jun-2007
A panel of government trade experts was told in Washington today that approval of the US-Korea free trade agreement (FTA) would lead to new overseas demand for a wide range of US goods and services, in particular financial services.
Important challenges face Asian FTAs
17-May-2007 Ohmynews
Asian economic regionalism, driven by active FTAs, reached a decisive point recently as China, South Korea, Japan and ASEAN countries compromised on the plan for financial reserves to put the possible financial crisis under control.
AIA calls US-Korea free trade agreement strongest in decades
10-May-2007
The American Insurance Association recently strongly praised the work of US trade negotiators who successfully concluded their talks on a Free Trade Agreement with Korea that will provide significant commercial gains for both countries.
Qatar, Netherlands set to sign trade deals; LNG in focus
8-May-2007
Qatar and the Netherlands may soon sign investment protection as well as double taxation avoidance agreements as part of efforts to improve economic and political relations between them.
GCC on course to meet 2010 monetary union deadline
27-Apr-2007
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is on course to meet a 2010 deadline to form a monetary union, the UAE Central Bank Governor, Sultan bin Nasser Al Suwaidi, said yesterday. "There is no delay to forming a currency union," he said, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an Islamic Banking Conference held in Dubai.
India, UAE amend DTAA, sign other pacts
26-Mar-2007
Keen to boost their trade and economic ties, India and the UAE today revised their agreement on Double Taxation Avoidance and signed a pact for exchange of information between the stock exchange regulators.
Free trade in stocks
22-Mar-2007
A persistent problem in international trade between Canada and the United States comes in an unexpected commodity — not wheat, lumber or beef, but securities, through U.S. rules that raise barriers to buying them.
Middle East moves towards VAT
16-Mar-2007
The taxation environment in the GCC may be on the cusp of significant change.
Banking issues to dominate India-Singapore CECA talks
15-Mar-2007 Financial Express
The Monetary Authority of Singapore’s delay in granting the qualifying full banking licence—the highest banking status that Singapore offers to a foreign bank—to the State Bank of India will be taken up by India, when the two sides meet later this month to review the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).
Mauritius beckons Indian finance pros
14-Mar-2007
Indian financial services professionals, chartered accountants, capital market experts, merchant bankers, insurance specialists, actuaries and even lawyers, are set to get a warm welcome in Mauritius.
US-UAE FTA on ice
19-Feb-2007 AME Info
Talks between the US and the UAE over a free trade agreement have been suspended after both parties failed to agree on how the Gulf state would open up its markets to US investors and banks. The FTA will now miss the March 31 deadline.
Gulf: take oil, open financial sector
12-Oct-2006 Indian Express
The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has asked India to push through financial sector reforms and in return offered its huge oil and gas reserves to meet the country’s energy needs.
Banking legislation up to international standards
4-Oct-2006
Banking legislation has been on par with international standards. That was the message from a conference on the effects of the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) on Vietnam’s economic development from 2001-05.