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FTA with US may be delayed due to financial crisis
19-Oct-2008
The proposed free trade agreement (FTA) being negotiated between Malaysia and the US may face a delay following the impact of the global financial crisis especially on the American economy, a former US diplomat said. “On global trade agreements with our partners, there’s going to be some serious rethinking on financial services,” John Wolf, a 34-year career diplomat who was the ambassador to Malaysia from 1992-1995, told Bernama in an interview today.
Financial crisis top on agenda at IBSA summit
10-Oct-2008
When leaders of India, Brazil and South Africa meet next week for their annual trilateral summit, the one issue on top of their minds will be the unfolding financial crisis.
The Southern Bank: the result of the struggle of movements
4-Sep-2008 Choike
The Southern Bank is not just a bank, not even a further development bank. It is the expression of the struggle against a model that takes out resources from the poorest nations. If this bank no longer manages to represent such expression and becomes more of the same, the movement will have a new institution to resist.
US, China sign energy, environment accord
11-Jul-2008 CalTradeReport
The US and China have signed a framework for an agreement to define cooperation on energy and environmental issues and will soon launch negotiations to reach a comprehensive investment and financial services treaty.
India’s Baroda and Axis Banks’ eye Sri Lanka
4-May-2008
The Sri Lankan government is forging ahead with the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) which will facilitate the entry here of two Indian banks - Bank of Baroda and Axis Bank, according to senior officials at the Central Bank.
RBI objects to bilateral trade agreements
11-Mar-2008 Business Standard
After political opposition to bilateral trade agreements, it is now the Reserve Bank of India that is raising the red flag on treaties signed by India.
FTA approval could be held up by unconstitutional clauses
19-Feb-2008 Hankyoreh
A South Korean parliamentary report says that some of the clauses of a free trade agreement with the United States — National Assembly’s right to dictate taxable items and tax rates — may be unconstitutional.
Bank of the South: A potential new challenge to hegemonic global finance and its monetary terrorism
5-Feb-2008 Payvand
Although there are no well-developed models, the possibility of regional banks independent of the agents of monetary terrorism serving what David Harvey calls "vulture capitalism" is becoming a reality.
Australia: ’India’s financial sector interests us’
24-Jan-2008 Economic Times
The new Australian government would forge closer relationship with India and take the partnership forward in key areas like energy infrastructure, agriculture and food processing, feels Simon Crean, Australia’s minister for trade.
RP may lose up to P4B in JPEPA’s 1st year - DOF
2-Jan-2008 ABS-CBN
The Philippine government stands to lose P3 billion to P4 billion in revenues in the first year alone of the implementation of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement, estimates by the Department of Finance showed.
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.