EFTA
While often overlooked, the European Free Trade Association — composed of Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland — actively seeks comprehensive bilateral FTAs much like its rivals the EU, the US, Japan, Canada or Australia. EFTA’s outward push towards FTAs is led and dominated by corporate powerhouse Switzerland, home to some of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical, agricultural biotechnology, banking and insurance companies.
EFTA has established important bilateral FTAs with Chile (2003), Israel (1992), Jordan (2001), Korea (2005), Lebanon (2004), Mexico (2000), Morocco (1997), the Palestinian Authority (1998), Turkey (1991), Singapore (2002), Tunisia (2004), the Southern Africa Customs Union (2006), Egypt (2007), Canada (2007), the GCC (2008), Colombia (2008) and Peru (2008).
The group is currently negotiating FTAs with India, Indonesia, Thailand, Algeria and Pakistan. It is expected to launch talks shortly with Malaysia and Vietnam, while similar deals with Russia and Ukraine are planned for later.
last update: May 2012
Citing “serious and systematic” human rights violations in Colombia, 33 non-governmental organizations led by Alliance Sud, the Berne Declaration and the Swiss Working Group on Colombia sent a letter 12 May to deputies urging them not to ratify the trade agreement between the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), of which Switzerland is a member, and Colombia.
The EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland) and Colombia on 12 June 2008 finalized negotiations on a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement between the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) have been finalized, said Secretary General of the GCC Abdulrahaman Al-Atiyya on Saturday, after five rounds of talks.
Swiss NGOs call for a moratorium on bilateral free trade agreements with developing countries
While world trade talks remain deadlocked, the European Free Trade Association (Efta), of which Switzerland is a member, continues to extend its network of free trade accords.
Switzerland and its fellow European Free Trade Association (Efta) members have signed a free trade agreement with Egypt. A statement also announced that Efta ministers had met the Indonesian trade minister with a view to concluding a similar accord.
A free trade agreement is scheduled to be signed between Egypt and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) on Saturday in Davos.
Egypt and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) have agreed to establish a free trade zone between the two sides, Egypt’s news agency MENA reported on Wednesday.
Lobby travel from Indonesian and Thai civil society in EFTA countries (Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Oslo)
Switzerland’s Economics Minister, Joseph Deiss, led a business delegation comprised of senior officials from Novartis, Credit Suisse, SACC and Economy Swiss, to Malaysia.
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EFTA FTAs
Database of all FTAs entered into by the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.) -
EFTA Secretariat
Website of the EFTA Secretariat
