bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo
  1. Negotiations

Asia & Pacific

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

An Asian economic community?
20-Sep-2005 Economic Times
There is a lot of anxiety in the developed world that Asia, buttressed by markets such as China and India, might be emerging as a big free trade block by itself.
Indonesian Trade Minister cautious on FTAs among APEC members
8-Sep-2005 Asia Pulse
Indonesia’s trade minister expressed caution Tuesday on the formation of free trade agreements (FTAs) within the Asia Pacific region.
Preferential trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific region
1-Sep-2005
This IMF working paper of July 2005 describes the proliferation of PTAs in the Asia-Pacific region, discusses their characteristics and implementation, and assesses their potential effects.
D-8 sets target for final draft of PTA
19-Aug-2005 Bangladesh Web
D-8 region consisting of eight Muslim countries — Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey — has set the end of 2005 as the target for the finalisation of the last draft of the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).
East Asian Free Trade Agreement (EAFTA): The road to better quality life?
15-Aug-2005 AIM
Countries in East Asia that are parties to, or in the process of negotiating, one or more free trade arrangements not only with countries within the region but outside the region as well, are looming to take the “hub and spoke” characteristic — for example, ASEAN-China (2010), ASEAN-Japan (2012), and ASEAN-Korea, and Japan-Singapore (2002) and Japan-Philippines. Whether ASEAN would be the hub or spoke remains to be seen.
APEC & free trade agreements in the Asia Pacific
22-Jul-2005
This conference provides a useful opportunity to reflect on the present and possible future role of APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation). In recent years, veteran APEC-watchers have rather complacently dismissed the grouping as irrelevant. But we may have under-estimated its contribution to the new matrix of economic alliances that are emerging within the region.
ASEAN in tariffs progress
21-Jul-2005
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is said to be on track to achieve a zero-tariff regime by 2015, a key ingredient for its ambitious plan to create a single market and production base by 2020.
ECO agrees to sign FTA next year
17-Jul-2005 Dawn
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) has agreed to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in 2006 to facilitate greater trade and investment activities in the region.
APEC trade ministers agree to promote trade facilitation in RTA/FTAs
5-Jun-2005
APEC Trade Ministers have agreed to develop possible model measures on trade facilitation for Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Regional Trading Agreements (RTAs) for endorsement by APEC Leaders in November.
The rise and rise of Asian trade
4-Jun-2005 Business Times
A mammoth regional grouping involving Asean and other countries and groups is in the works.

    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”.