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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

US to seek currency chapters in trade talks with Japan, others: Mnuchin
14-Oct-2018 Reuters
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says that Washington wants to include a provision to deter currency manipulation in future trade deals, including with Japan, based on the currency chapter in the new deal to revamp NAFTA.
US may push Japan, EU not to strike trade deals with China: Ross
8-Oct-2018 The Mainichi
The "poison pill" provision to deter trade deals with China in the new US trade agreement with Canada and Mexico may be replicated in future US trade pacts, such as those with Japan and the European Union.
The real problem with free trade
11-Sep-2018 Project Syndicate
Free trade has enabled a few companies to secure monopolies or near-monopolies, which has given rise to massive inequalities.
Global day of action against WTO and free trade agreements – Call to mobilise!
6-Sep-2018 La Vía Campesina
WTO and a host of multi-lateral and bilateral Free Trade Agreements have created criminal levels of inequality.
“You dropping BRICS from above? We’re throwing bricks from below!”
28-Jun-2018 Pambazuka
Social movements resisting the policies and agendas of Brazil-Russia-India-China-SouthAfrica elites will make their voices heard during the BRICS summit in Johannesburg on 22-27 July.
A globalisation for people, not business
5-Jun-2018 Social Europe
Globalisation is in crisis because of its almost totalitarian outreach to all areas of everyday life. People feel a loss of control, because their way of life is perceived as subject to trade requests solely for the benefit of globally acting firms.
Trump’s new tariffs have effectively killed TTIP and may collapse NAFTA
1-Jun-2018 Eurasia Future
China’s preferred model of free trade has already won a favoured position in developing countries vis-a-vis the US model.
September 10 | International day against WTO and free trade agreements
22-May-2018 La Via Campesina
In memory of farmer Lee and the continuing struggles of peasants in resisting the neo-liberal agenda of WTO, La Via Campesina marks September 10 as the International Day Against WTO and Free Trade Agreements.
Setting course for sustainable trade – a new trade agenda that serves people and the environment
11-Apr-2018 Friends of the Earth Europe
We urgently need a new trade regime which can help address global challenges and tackle problems like accelerating climate change, a broken agricultural model and loss of trust in democratic processes.
2018 national trade estimate report on foreign trade barriers
5-Apr-2018 Office of the US Trade Representative
The report highlights significant foreign barriers to US exports.

    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.