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Pacific countries confident of making deadline for EU trade agreement
26-Oct-2005 AFX
Leaders of Pacific island countries said they were confident of meeting the end-of-2007 deadline for reaching agreement with the European Union on a preferential trade deal despite slow progress in negotiations.
Snag hit on services: Bilateral FTA talks now at halfway point
24-Oct-2005 Bangkok Post
Thailand is unlikely to gain much benefit from service sector liberalisation in a free trade area (FTA) agreement with the United States, a Thai trade negotiator says as the talks reach their halfway point.
Bilateral and regional trade agreements: Report of a GURN online discussion
19-Oct-2005 GURN
In order to increase and improve trade union participation in trade agreements an online discussion was organised in March 2005, over 4 weeks, which considered the involvement of trade unions in trade agreements, the role they play and the influence they have on the final outcome of trade agreements.
Developed world undermining WTO spirit through FTAs
18-Oct-2005 Financial Express
FTAs are being designed by the developed countries to get more than what the WTO and TRIPS could give at this stage.
Finance liberalisation: Cabinet baulks on alien law changes
18-Oct-2005 The Nation
Thai Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak said yesterday that proposed amendments to the Alien Business Act would not be presented to the Cabinet today, apparently because of growing public resentment about further opening up the country to foreign investors.
’Negative list’ approach seen for US talks
13-Oct-2005 Bangkok Post
Thai negotiators could ultimately be forced to accept a "negative list" approach in negotiating the Thailand-US free trade area agreement, according to Pongpanu Svetarunvra, deputy director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office. Under a negative list approach, all sectors and services will be liberalised except for those explicitly stated in the agreement.
Saudi Arabia accession to WTO (2005)
30-Sep-2005
Information sheets from USTR
Proposed RP-US FTA may center on telecom and financial sectors
29-Sep-2005 PIDS
In a recent round table discussion sponsored by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, the service industries - specifically the telecommunication and the finance sectors - were tackled as two of the crucial areas where the Philippines can have the best potential if the FTA agreement with the US pushes through.
Asian regional workshop on bilateral free trade agreements
22-Sep-2005
The Asian Regional Workshop on Bilateral Free Trade Agreements was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 26-28 August 2005. It was organized by the Third World Network and attended by about 120 participants from many Asian countries.
Thai specialists in US for FTA technical talks
10-Sep-2005 Bangkok Post
On liberalising services and investment, Thailand insists on adopting a "positive list" approach, where only those sectors explicitly outlined in the agreement would be opened. The US insists on a "negative list", under which all sectors are on the table except those listed as sensitive.
Free trade agreement: impact in Thailand
6-Sep-2005
This booklet by FTA Watch is aimed at disseminating information to international civil society for the purpose of sharing the analyses and experience of the FTA struggle in Thailand.
India Inc wants FTA in services with EU: study
5-Sep-2005
On the eve of UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair’s arrival in the country for the India-EU Summit, India Inc. represented by the country’s top CEOs on Monday favoured signing of a special Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) in the area of services, given India’s strength in knowledge driven sectors and changing demographic profile in EU, which will soon face a shortage of trained manpower for future economic growth.
Joint press statement: Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement
3-Sep-2005 MOFA
On 1 September 2005, Mr. Junichiro Koizumi, Prime Minister of Japan and Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand met in Tokyo to jointly announce that agreement in principle has been reached between the Japanese side and the Thai side on all major elements of the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement, on the basis of a series of negotiations since February 2004.
Free trade showdown: How long can Panama hold out for an agreement that reflects its own national interests?
10-Aug-2005 COHA
DR-CAFTA’s narrow victory will incite US domestic producers’ lobbies to exert heavier pressure to get a US-Panama agreement more favorable to US industry.
NBD outlines major US objectives of FTAs
5-Aug-2005
National Bank of Dubai in a report outlined the US main objectives from regional trade agreements, the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
FTA with Singapore to benefit India: NCAER
25-Jul-2005
Changing its views on India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (ISCECA), the Delhi-based think-tank National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has said that India will be benefitted from ‘plus’ component of the free trade agreement (FTA).
US-Thai FTA: Framework needed before discussions on finance sector
9-Jul-2005 Bangkok Post
Financial sector liberalisation is a sensitive subject for the talks. US authorities have insisted that no FTA agreement can be negotiated without it. Thai authorities have been reluctant to make any commitments on opening up the banking, insurance, asset management or securities sectors.
India set to get access to Bimstec markets
22-Jun-2005
India and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) member countries plan to sign a deal to provide access to each others’ markets for the pharmaceuticals and services sectors.
P4 Economic Partnership Agreement - key outcomes
5-Jun-2005 Scoop
Press release from NZ government outlining key features of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement between Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore.
Washington insists financial services must be on agenda
30-May-2005 Bangkok Post
Financial-sector liberalisation could undermine efforts to negotiate a Thailand-US free-trade area agreement, according to Finance Ministry officials.