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  1. Negotiations

:: Across the board ::

This section contains news and analysis of sweeping developments that affect the overall push and pull towards FTAs and bilateral investment treaties. This means major trends relating to bilateralism, often with global consequences, and other cross-cutting issues. New developments arising from US politics, the WTO or South-South alliance-building, for instance, are often reported here as they tend to have systemic impacts.

last update: May 2012

Analysis: Carmakers dampen EU’s free-trade drive
6-Jul-2012 Reuters
There is barely a corner of the world where the negotiators from the European Union - the largest trading bloc - are not trying to deepen trade ties, and talks with 80 countries are under way, from Canada to Cape Verde.
Kirk looks at future of US-EU trade relations
24-May-2012 Tax News
After, earlier this month, the European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht had foreseen the possibility of a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) between the United States and the European Union in 2014, the US Trade Representative Ron Kirk provided his view on US-EU trade policy during a recent speech in London.
Business calls for US-Brazil trade treaty
11-Apr-2012 Tax News
On the occasion of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s visit to the United States on April 9, the US Chamber of Commerce (USCC) President and CEO Thomas Donohue called on the two countries to begin discussions on a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
Noda, Monti agree to aim for early launch of Japan-EU FTA talks
29-Mar-2012 Mainichi
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and his Italian counterpart Mario Monti on Wednesday agreed to aim for the early launch of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Japan and the European Union.
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.
Keeping SOPA measures out of trade agreements ACTA, TPP
17-Feb-2012 Huffington Post
As protests against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) sweep across Europe, two conclusions are possible: the era of closed-door IP policy is over; and the content industry’s insatiable quest for more power and control is no longer irresistible.
Bilateral trade deals, Doha in the spotlight at Davos
1-Feb-2012 ICTSD
The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, held in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, came to a close on Saturday 28 January, with many policymakers making a push for bilateral and regional trade pacts - including an EU-US agreement - in the absence of progress in the Doha Round.
Need to assess costs and benefits of FTAs
28-Nov-2011
Free trade agreements designed in a different era can prevent or hinder the policy measures developing countries need to address the growing global economic crisis, and deserve to be reviewed.
Free-trade backers eye trans-Pacific
14-Oct-2011 Washington Times
Now that US Congress approved free-trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, trade experts want lawmakers to harness the momentum and turn their attention to other potential deals in what is seen as a way to boost the economy and create jobs: sealing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, getting Russia to join the WTO, and creating FTAs with the EU and Brazil.
Colombian, Korean and Panamanian activists condemn White House support for new "free trade" deals
13-Oct-2011 Democracy Now!
Organizers held a teach-in at Occupy Wall Street on Monday about "free trade agreements" with Colombia, Panama and South Korea now pending in Congress that will expand the market for national corporations and financial corporations from the United States.

    Links

  • #A18DoA - Global day of action to defeat free trade and investment treaties
    Website for the global day of action to defeat free trade and investment treaties #A18DoA
  • 21st Century Trade Agreements: Implications for Long-Run Development Policy
    A publication of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. The paper examines the policy space available under various free trade regimes for countries pursuing industrial policies for development.
  • Alianza Social Continental
    La Alianza Social Continental es un foro de organizaciones y movimientos sociales progresistas de las Américas, creado para intercambiar información, definir estrategias y promover acciones conjuntas, todo ello encaminado a la búsqueda de un modelo de desarrollo alternativo y democrático, que beneficie a nuestros pueblos
  • ICC
    International Chamber of Commerce
  • Movimientos.org
    A multilingual (English, Spanish, Portuguese) website focusing on social movements and their campaigns, including those against bilateral and regional FTAs.
  • Pambazuka
    In this week’s edition of the Emerging Powers News Round-Up, read a comprehensive list of news stories and opinion pieces related to China, India and other emerging powers...
  • People over profit
    People Over Profit is a campaign network that unites peoples movements and NGOs across the globe to stop free trade agreements (FTAs) and corporate plunder, launched in October 2016.
  • Peoples Global Action
    In February 1998, movements from all continents met in Geneva to launch a worldwide coordination of resistances to the global market, a new alliance of struggle and mutual support called Peoples’ Global Action against "Free" Trade and the World Trade Organisation (PGA).
  • Regional/Multilateral Integration Agreements
    Selected research papers on regional trade agreements, from internationaleconomics.net
  • SOMO
    SOMO links the negotiations and rules on international trade and investment with the actual conduct of corporations within these rules and agreements.
  • South Centre
    An intergovernmental organisation of developing countries
  • Stop fast track!
    10 days to stop fast track in the United States: Jan 22 - 31 2014
  • Third World Network
    TWN’s website is a good source of information and analysis about what’s happening within the multilateral trade system (WTO, UNCTAD, G77, etc).
  • WorldTradeLaw.net
    WorldTradeLaw.net offers a free library of current trade news and resources; a database of dispute settlement tables and statistics; and a user-friendly search tool for legal texts, and other documents.