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Myths about bilateral free trade
31-Aug-2005 Dawn
Of late, there has been an outbreak of activism in the realm of bilateral free trade and investment agreements across the world. Many developing countries have found themselves swept off by the wave of bilateralism, not realizing it only weakens the cause of multilateralism.
US-SACU: New impetus behind a deal
31-Aug-2005 Business Day
Negotiations for a free trade agreement between the US and the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) stalled last year in an atmosphere of impasse rather than acrimony. But on the explicit instruction of President Thabo Mbeki, the talks are now on again and new, ambitious targets have been set for their completion, as well as a new plan for getting past the problems that plagued the last effort.
US Congress to address draft of Egyptian-US free trade agreement
31-Aug-2005 Arabic News
The US Administration will put forward the draft to the Egyptian-US free trade agreement to the Congress by the end of the current year, Egypt’s Foreign Trade and Industry Minister Rashid Mohamed Rashid said.
Pakistan-US differences over BIT persists
24-Aug-2005 Dawn
Pakistan has asked the United States to sign the proposed Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) by dropping its demand that in case of an arbitration only the Washington based International Centre for Settlement of Disputes (ICSID) should be approached for a decision.
Devil’s in the trading detail
23-Aug-2005
The first member of President George W. Bush’s Cabinet to visit New Zealand has a positive message to take back to his Washington boss. Mike Johanns - appointed Agriculture Secretary earlier this year - was impressed by just how "New Zealand, to the person that I’ve talked to, is pro-trade".
NZ-US free trade deal not on agenda
23-Aug-2005
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said on Tuesday that a free trade agreement with New Zealand was not on the Bush administration’s agenda, but remains a possibility in the future.
US deal may hurt stem cell research
23-Aug-2005
The free trade agreement (FTA) with the US could stifle Australian stem cell research, scientists and legal experts say.
US lobbyists making money from FTA
23-Aug-2005
There have already been some big winners out of Australia’s free-trade deal with the United States - American lawyers and lobbyists.
Uruguayan Senate debates US BIT, looks for common Mercosur posture on BITs
23-Aug-2005 INVEST-SD
The Uruguayan Senate remains deeply divided on whether to move forward with the ratification of a US-Uruguayan Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT).
QIZ to be set up at Pak-Afghan border
22-Aug-2005 Daily Times
International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been informed that Pakistan and Afghanistan will soon submit a joint proposal for establishment of Qualified Industrial Zone at Pak-Afghan Border to export to the United States of America.
US gains in one-sided trade deal
19-Aug-2005
The much-vaunted free trade agreement with the United States has become one-sided, with no financial benefit to Australia.
No easy ride in the land of the FTA
19-Aug-2005
It was meant to be the big breakthrough for Australian exporters — but official statistics show Australia’s exports to the US have fallen by 3 per cent since the start of the US free trade agreement.
US Middle East economic policy: Are trade-based initiatives an effective tool in the war on terrorism?
19-Aug-2005 Center for Contemporary Conflict
An assessment published by a US military research outfit.
Sacu and US to kick-start trade talks
18-Aug-2005 Business Report
The US and the five-member Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) will meet in the second half of September to kick-start trade negotiations that ground to a halt late last year after the two regions failed to reach consensus on a range of key issues.
US bilateral free trade accords: Why Canada should be cautious about going the same route
18-Aug-2005 CD Howe Institute
Canada should focus on improving its access to the US market rather than trying to complete a host of FTA negotiations that are unlikely to result in large payoffs - despite the fact that the United States and many other countries are doing so.
In the trade zone: Georgians assess effects of CAFTA deal
18-Aug-2005 AJC
Georgia’s poultry industry is gearing up to ship more frozen chicken abroad under the Central American Free Trade Agreement, while parts of the state’s textile industry also stand to gain.
Caribbean: Trade winds gusting as region faces WTO meet
18-Aug-2005 IPS
Recent developments in international trade highlight the difficulties facing the 15-member Caribbean Community (Caricom) as it prepares for a key World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meeting in Hong Kong this December.
The FTAA: A recipe for economic disaster?
16-Aug-2005 Political Affairs Magazine
As indicated by CAFTA’s ratification, instead of pushing for the enactment of the FTAA, the Bush administration has re-evaluated its strategy, now attempting to build up momentum by establishing separate free trade agreements with the different regions in the hemisphere through a "divide-and-conquer" strategy.
The Thai-US FTA and its impacts on Thai Jasmine rice and biological resources
14-Aug-2005 NHRC
The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) has expressed its concern over ongoing negotiations on the Thai-US Free Trade Agreement, particularly on the issues of intellectual property rights.
United States tears up free-trade rule book
13-Aug-2005 Montreal Gazette
The United States, such a paragon and champion of free trade when it comes to exporting its own products and services, evidently considers itself free unilaterally to ignore the rules when the umpire comes down against it.