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geopolitics

Nuke policy still an issue in US trade talks - Brash
24-Apr-2006 stuff
New Zealand National Party leader Don Brash said it was "fairly clear" that some members of the US Administration felt there was no prospect of an FTA unless there was some change in New Zealand’s anti-nuclear position.
US ports deal: A bitter aftertaste
10-Apr-2006
As a consequence of the furore by the US congress over DP World’s acquisition of several American ports, the Dubai state-owned company decided to avert a long legal battle and agreed to put these assets up for sale.
Japan-China trade agreement opposed
10-Apr-2006 Reuters
Japan’s farm minister expressed scepticism toward the idea of a free trade pact with China, while its foreign minister said on Friday the two economic giants should avoid jockeying for power in the region.
ADB attacks bilateral trade deals
7-Apr-2006 Financial Times
“A lot of these bilateral deals have nothing to do with economics. Instead, they [Asian Development Bank’s members] are mostly doing it for diplomatic reasons, including efforts to gain access to natural resources.”
Inaugurating the Center for National Movements against the South Korea-US FTA
6-Apr-2006 IPLeft
Unless this FTA is blocked, Korean economy, nay, the whole Korean society will soon fall under US unilateralism built upon transnational capital, Korea-US military alliance, and of course the new gained strategic flexibility of the US forces in Korea.
Bolivia: Washington opening another front?
30-Mar-2006 Granma
Even before Evo Morales won the presidential elections on December 15, 2005 and took possession on January 22, his government entered one of Washington’s exclusion lists, in this case one of "populism," an epithet that serves the White House and the US State Department, in charge of issuing warnings, to denote an executive that does not please or suit them.
Free trade pacts are bad for business
25-Mar-2006 Forbes
The WTO on March 22 issued a report criticizing the US pursuit of free trade agreements. The report claims that US free trade agreements create political interests in other countries, which complicate the multilateral process.
Ecuador: social agitation against FTA
16-Mar-2006 Granma International
The battle against the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States is continuing in Ecuador.
US sees trade deal with UAE
15-Mar-2006 Reuters
The United States is eager to resume trade talks with the United Arab Emirates after the furore over a ports deal with Dubai and hopes to clinch an agreement within the next few months.
’Postponement of FTA talks between UAE-US just a routine matter’
12-Mar-2006
US Ambassador Michele J. Sison yesterday termed the postponement of talks for Free Trade Agrement (FTA) between US-UAE a routine matter.
US, UAE postpone free-trade talks amid ports row
11-Mar-2006 Reuters
The United States and United Arab Emirates postponed their next round of free-trade talks, the two countries said on Friday, a day after a Dubai state-owned company said it would sell US port management operations to calm a political furor.
Bush concerned about collapse of ports deal
10-Mar-2006
President Bush says he is concerned about international reaction to congressional opposition to a Dubai-owned company managing operations at some US ports. Opposition led the firm to announce it would transfer port operations to a US entity.
UAE to invest in US but port row may spook others
1-Mar-2006 Reuters
Opposition in the United States to a UAE firm taking over US ports will not deter the Arab state from more investments there, but could make other countries divert funds to Asia and Europe, the UAE’s economy minister said on Wednesday.
Pact could mature alliance
2-Feb-2006 JoongAng
The relationship between Korea and the United States until now was a firm security alliance to prevent the spread of communism. The announcement of free trade agreement negotiations is an expression of a will to establish a more developed general alliance, not only in ideology and military on a security level, but also in economic gains.
Present capacity and future development of the Andean struggle against the FTA
29-Jan-2006
The region-wide campaign against the US-Andean free trade agreement (FTA) made important, if partial, achievements in 2005. The FTA negotiation has been delayed thanks to social pressure, but it has not been stopped.
‘Thaksinisation’ strains Thai-US relations
22-Jan-2006 The Nation
When Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra went to Washington DC last September to meet President George W Bush, they agreed that the Thai-US free-trade agreement (FTA) would be completed by this June. At a subsequent meeting with Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, he also asked for US assistance in southern Thailand. Obviously there was a clear link between the trade and defence policies of the two countries.
EU proposals to Iran (summary 2005)
17-Jan-2006 IranMania
On 5 August 2005, the E3/EU passed to Iran a "Framework for a Long-term Agreement". Under it, the E3/EU would work for an early conclusion of negotiations on a draft EU/Iran Trade & Co-operation Agreement.
China, Mali sign economic cooperation agreement
15-Jan-2006 CRI
China will take further steps to encourage investments in Mali, while Mali will strive to increase the direct export of cotton and other products to China.
Free trade agreements: Impact on US trade and implications for US trade policy
28-Dec-2005
FTAs are now a significant U.S. trade policy tool. Their rapid emergence raises some important policy issues for the US Congress as it considers implementing legislation and monitors negotiations as part of its oversight responsibilities.
SAFTA to allow direct trade with Pakistan
27-Dec-2005 Indian Express
India and Pakistan will be able to trade directly without the help of third-country destinations once the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) comes into force from January 1.