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Asia & Pacific

Bilateral deal-making involving governments of Asia and the Pacific region.


The rush to bilateral pacts: Throttling trade while trying to promote it
A plethora of Asian beggar-thy-neighbor agreements threatens to throttle global trade in the name of trying to save it.
US-Asean TIFA likely to be concluded
The Asean-United States Trade Investment Framework Agreement (Tifa), which is likely to be concluded Friday, is a well-timed development given the growing trade and investment between the two, a US senior congressional aide said here Monday.
Asean can thwart economic hegemony through FTA, says Laos
The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the six East Asean members as proposed by Japan can help thwart the rich nations’ economic hegemony in the region, said Laos Minister of Industry and Commerce Dr Nam Viyaketh.
Consider everyone’s interest in FTA, says Vietnam
Vietnam wants ASEAN to weigh the interest of all its members before deciding on the Asean Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with its six East Asia partners, an official said Sunday.
Must Asean be wary of FTAs while embracing them?
While everybody has been rushing to ink Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), no thanks to the consistent failure in global trade talks, questions are raised as to whether its adverse consequences are being ignored.
US-ASEAN deal won’t address Myanmar
The United States will sign a pact with Southeast Asia next week to boost trade and investment, but the plan has been scaled down because of Myanmar, whose poor human rights record has hindered trade relations, officials said Saturday.
Japan draws up Nikai initiative to boost regional trade
The Japanese private sector is pivotal in pushing the initiative, as they want to dangle what is undoubtedly a carrot for Asean countries to propel the proposed East Asia Free Trade Area (EAFTA).
ASEAN wants agriculture to be in ASEAN-East Asia FTA
ASEAN does not discount the possibility of having a free trade agreement (FTA) with all East Asian countries as a whole, said the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry director Ramon Vicente T. Kabigting. However, it must first consider including agriculture in the agreement for this to materialise, he told reporters.
Asean Sec Gen: Individual FTAs will not halt Asean economic progress
Individual Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) signed or being negotiated by Asean member countries will not affect the grouping’s unity or halt its economic progress, Asean Secretary General, Ong Keng Yong said.
Free Trade Agreements, Are They Good For American Businesses?
The U.S. House International Relations Committee held a hearing on Thursday July 20, 2006 on Asian Free Trade Agreements and questioned if they are good for American businesses and American workers, according to American Samoa Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin.

    Links


  • ABAC
    APEC Business Advisory Council is pushing for an FTA among APEC members
  • ASEAN Briefing
    ASEAN Briefing is a platform dedicated to the various and increasing number of trade treaties and agreements throughout the ASEAN region, produced by tax and legal professionals Dezan Shira & Associates.
  • Asia Regional Integration Center
    Database of bilateral and plurilateral FTAs with at least one of Asian Development Bank’s 48 regional members as signatory.
  • Australia-ASEAN-New Zealand FTA
    An Australian government webpage on the Australia-ASEAN-New Zealand FTA negotiations, agreed to end 2004 and begun early 2005.
  • Macau-China FTA
    Official website on the Macau-China Closer Economic Partnership Agreement
  • PANG
    The Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) plays the role of the Pacific regional “peoples’ watchdog on trade issues”.