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investment | BITs

Nationals scrutiny ’threatens’ free trade agreements
12-Mar-2012
Labor has seized on Coalition disunity over foreign investment to warn that a Nationals plan for new restrictions on investment in farmland would breach the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement.
US in talks with India on bilateral investment treaty
5-Mar-2012 Times of India
The United States says it is developing a new model bilateral investment treaty (BIT) and had intensified its engagement with potential partners like India and China to conclude such a treaty with them.
Korea, China, Japan to conclude investment pact after 5 years
28-Feb-2012 Donga Ilbo
Five years of negotiations on a bilateral investment treaty among Korea, China and Japan will be concluded at the 13th round of talks in Tokyo Tuesday. The agreement covers protection of intellectual property rights and liberalization of investment.
India loses arbitration case against Oz firm
9-Feb-2012
In a stinging indictment of the slow speed with which the higher judiciary decides cases and lackadaisical manner in which the government deals with disputes involving foreign companies doing business in India, a three-member international arbitration panel has decided a case against the Government of India and a PSU.
Experts: More lawsuits to be filed against Venezuela in Icsid
5-Feb-2012
Venezuela’s decision to leave the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (Icsid) may lead to further claims against the country in that court, said Diana Droulers, the executive director of the Arbitration Center, Caracas Chamber of Commerce.
Trade and investment climate needs improvement: New Zealand
5-Feb-2012
New Zealand expects Indonesia to improve its trade and investment climate to allow both countries to reap greater benefits from a recently implemented free trade agreement (FTA) among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Australia and New Zealand.
Investment terror
13-Jan-2012 DTE
Since the 1990s developing nations have been on a treaty spree, signing a vast number of bilateral and regional investment treaties to attract funds for development. But as the figure of investment treaties has shot up so have the claims for damages from investor companies, which are seeking billions of dollars in compensation on account of regulatory laws.
Investment developments in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
12-Jan-2012 ITN
What are the likely implications of the TPPA for investment law? The draft investment chapter is largely completed. It generally follows the 2004 US model BIT, with a few significant square brackets, writes Jane Kelsey.
Global investment rules: Threat to democracy and the environment
9-Dec-2011 NJGI
Told through the voices of people working to battle the injustices of these rules from countries across the world, the video is a vibrant and visual way to help people understand what is at stake, for our rights, for the environment and for democracy.
US Congress and courts well aware of ISD’s danger
6-Dec-2011
Canadian company, the Loewen Group has found itself embroiled in a legal battle after investing in a U.S. funeral home project. Loewen was charged by the Mississippi state court with violating its contract.
Korea`s next problem after FTA ratification: trade lawyers
26-Nov-2011
Korea’s Office of the Minister for Trade recently attempted to recruit lawyers specializing in international trade before the effectuation of the free trade agreement with the European Union.
Call for an alternative investment model
26-Nov-2011 NJGI
If your organisation would like to join the call, please do so before 7 December
As confrontation looms, GNP calls for ISD clarification from DP
22-Nov-2011
The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) placed pressure on the Democratic Party on Monday to state how it would respond if a written agreement for investor-state dispute (ISD) provision renegotiations for the South Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) were received from the South Korean and U.S. trade officials.
BIT(s) by bit
9-Nov-2011 MyLaw.net
EU investors are not the only ones seeking ‘protection’ in India.
India, US move forward on investment protection treaty
9-Nov-2011 PTI
The proposed India-US investment protection treaty is back on the negotiating table and is moving forward, Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar said today.
Justice Ministry’s KORUS FTA warning
9-Nov-2011
The Ministry of Justice submitted a formal opinion strongly recommending caution with regard to the investor-state dispute (ISD) system, a key item of contention with the South Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement.
Legal weapon that gives corporations the edge on governments
5-Nov-2011
Swedish energy giant Vattenfall will take advantage of an "extraordinarily powerful legal tool" now available to the world’s corporations to sue the German government for phasing out nuclear power, it was confirmed this week.
U.S. companies profit from investor-state dispute system
5-Nov-2011
The South Korean government describes the investor-state dispute system (ISD), introduced by the country for 81 bilateral investment treaties (BITs) formed since 1967, as a means of protecting offshore investments by South Koreans. But South Korea has never once sued another country, nor has the government been sued by a foreign investor. The reason was that none of those treaties was with the United States.
Canada eyes India for investment in trillion-dollar infrastructure plan
5-Nov-2011
India is on Canada’s radar screen as it wishes to be a part of a trillion-dollar infrastructure plan to consolidate trade and investment ties with Asia’s third-largest economy, Canadian international trade minister Ed Fast said on Friday.
Free-trade deals lack foreign safeguards
5-Nov-2011
One purpose for the federal government’s pursuit of free trade deals with other nations is to protect Canadian investors from mistreatment in foreign countries.