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After 30 Years of NAFTA, the Working Classes Are Still Losing
Thirty years after NAFTA came into effect in 1994, the economic data suggests a somber conclusion: The three countries’ working classes are worse off today than they were before
Swiss trade deal: Is India changing its tune on pharma patents?
Intellectual property protection for the Swiss pharmaceutical industry has been a key sticking point in negotiations on a free trade agreement with India. Now there seems to be a breakthrough in talks after 16 years. What’s changed?
Thorny clause in ripening India-European Free Trade Association deal may hit generic drug industry
The clause in the draft free trade agreement text could delay access to affordable, generic versions of patented drugs in India by a minimum of six years, according to documents.
New patent rules in India-UK trade agreement will prioritise pharmaceutical profit over public health
The “TRIPS-Plus” provisions in the India-UK Agreement are a dangerous attempt to increase the power of pharmaceutical companies by placing profits before public health.
Letter: Civil society calls on UK Prime Minister to ensure UK-India free trade agreement does not threaten access to affordable medicines
MSF and over 50 UK-based civil society organisations and individuals sent this open letter to United Kingdom Prime Minister, urging him to commit that the UK-India Free Trade Agreement will not gut the public health safeguards that are in India’s intellectual property laws.
The US push for GMO corn is out to lunch
So-called “Free trade” promises lower prices and more supply, but it derails food security. Mexico has been fighting this since the United States began a dispute over genetically modified corn.
India-UK free trade agreement faces hurdle over medical devices
Finalising the rules of origin for the medical devices sector remains a sticking-point in the proposed free-trade agreement between India and the UK and the talks are on to iron out the differences, an official said.
US escalates trade dispute over GM corn, challenges Mexico’s food sovereignty
US Trade Representative office’s move to form dispute resolution panel lacks justification according to experts.
EU-Mercosur: Banned pesticides found on Brazilian limes in EU
A Greenpeace Germany study of Brazilian limes sold in the EU has found residues of several pesticides, some of them banned for use in Europe.
Free trade deal is a major threat to UK public health, warn experts
The UK’s decision to join one of the world’s largest free trade agreements, known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership, poses a major threat to UK public health, warn experts.
Clamour against United Kingdom’s free-trade negotiator
Groups from India and nearly 40 countries express concern about a leaked chapter from the proposed FTA that they say appears to represent ‘a wish list’ of the pharmaceutical industry.
Health CSO statement on Kenya _US STIP
We are part of a think tank that advocates for increased access to essential medicines by ensuring that intellectual property laws and policies do not create unnecessary barriers to access to affordable essential medicines, especially for people living with and affected by HIV and TB.
Kenya anti-tobacco crusaders fault President Ruto’s South Korea deal
A group of advocates of tobacco use control has denounced the deal Kenya’s president, William Ruto made with South Korea to enhance tobacco trade, saying it will put more Kenyans at risk of diseases linked to the farming and use of the product.
India-UK FTA lands in row over patent evergreening
A clause allowing patent evergreening in the India-UK free trade agreement will harm India’s generics industry and the UK’s healthcare service that is dependent on Indian drugs, The Lancet warned, prompting the UK to declare the future of its health service is “not on the table".
MSF responds to UK’s disastrous proposal on intellectual property in UK-India Free Trade Agreement
UK IP demands contain provisions that would drastically harm access to affordable, lifesaving generic medicines from India, upon which millions of people around the world rely.
Thai gold mine blamed for sickening local villagers is set to reopen
Citing the free-trade agreement between Australia and Thailand, Kingsgate, announced in November 2017 that it had filed a suit against Thailand at an international arbitration tribunal.
Children’s cereal company v. Mexico & the corporate use of investor-state dispute settlement to influence policymaking
In September, a children’s cereal company threatened to sue Mexico over its adoption of a food packaging regulation.
An India-UK trade deal could mean a race to the bottom for Indian workers
On farmers and food, vaccine inequality, climate justice and digital rights, we need to act in solidarity – and not allow trade rules to sacrifice people to corporate profit.
They concern you more than you know: On the perils and potential of international investment agreements for the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and COVID-19 discussions at the World Trade Organization
Talks on a possible COVID-19-related TRIPS decision aimed at scaling up vaccine and therapeutics production and equitable distribution continue but investment agreements are absent from them.