Days before Donald Trump’s second inauguration, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that he wanted to start negotiations on a trade deal with the United States as soon as possible.
Instead of supporting sustainable development, the agreement has primarily facilitated trade in environmentally harmful goods, and has also failed to introduce effective mechanisms to address sustainability challenges.
Despite criticism of the free trade agreement with the United States, Colombian President Gustavo Petro opted to reassess a series of clauses on investments and arbitration, instead of requesting a complete renegotiation.
USMCA provisions are straight out of Big Tech’s digital trade wishlist, which seeks to pre-empt the ability of governments to introduce regulations that could affect their bottom lines or hold them accountable.
A federal review of the USMCA is approaching later this year. This is a critical opportunity to demand a trade deal that prioritizes people, the environment, public health, worker rights, and innovative manufacturing
Negotiations for the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) are in their final stages after 14 rounds since January 2022, with no further full talks expected. Key issues remain in the related Bilateral Investment Treaty, particularly dispute resolution mechanisms.
South Korea and Thailand are conducting their fifth round of negotiations this week in Bangkok to finalize an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) aimed at deepening trade and investment ties. The talks, led by senior trade officials from both countries, cover 13 key areas including goods, services, investment, intellectual property, and sustainable development.
The upgraded ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) came into force on April 21, creating a trade area of over 703 million people with a combined GDP of more than US$5.6 trillion.
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto and Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov discussed advancing a free trade agreement with Eurasian countries, aiming for finalization during Prabowo’s visit to St. Petersburg later this year.
Government of Indonesia urged the EU to adopt a pragmatic approach considering differing economic levels to finalize negotiations by 2025. Indonesia’s growing trade surplus with the EU highlights strong export performance, particularly in palm oil and minerals.