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Korea Trade’s Cho Says Petrochemical Firms to Benefit From FTA
2-Jun-2011
Cho Seong Dae, chief researcher at the FTA & Industry Research Office Institute for International Trade, part of the Korea International Trade Association, comments on the impact of a free-trade agreement with the European Union on South Korean petrochemical companies.
Farm groups make case for passage of free-trade deals
31-May-2011
Emphasizing the importance of trade to the nation’s economy and the need to prevent the loss of existing export markets, agricultural leaders converged on Capitol Hill to urge for immediate passage of three outstanding trade agreements.
Conglomerate heads urge quick approval of U.S. FTA
19-May-2011
Leaders of South Korea’s largest business groups urged the nation’s parliament Thursday to quickly ratify a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States signed four years ago.
Business world wrings hands over TPP delay
19-May-2011 Yomiuri Shimbun
Business circles are increasingly worried a delay in Japan’s entry into the multilateral Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact would exacerbate the hollowing out of domestic industries.
28 Senators write Obama urging strong IP chapter in Trans Pacific Partnership
19-May-2011 infojustice
A group of 28 US Senators has written President Obama urging his administration to include “the highest level of IP protections” in the Trans Pacific Partnership.
Chiquita & the Colombia FTA — Murder in the interest of profit
17-May-2011 Huffington Post
Recent documents obtained by the National Security Archive at George Washington University from the US Justice Department show that Chiquita Brands International, in direct contradiction of the claims of both Chiquita and the US government for many years, made illegal payments to both guerrilla groups and then AUC death squads over the course of about 14 years in return for security from these groups.
Japan, EU business lobbies call for launch of FTA talks at summit
14-May-2011 Mainchi
Business lobbies of Japan and the European Union have jointly called on their leaders to agree to launch negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement during a summit meeting scheduled for later this month in Brussels.
PhRMA calls for strong IP protection for biologics in TPP FTA
12-May-2011 FDA News
US pharmaceutical industry association the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America is calling on the US Trade Representative to include strong intellectual property provisions, such as 12-year data protection for follow-on biologics, in the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.
Car industry fires a warning over EC free-trade deals
11-Apr-2011 Express
Free-trade agreements with India and Japan could undermine the UK’s automotive industry, which employs 700,000 and accounts for more than 10 per cent of exports, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders is warning.
US business sees trade deals approved by July
8-Apr-2011
A new U.S. deal with Colombia to address longstanding labor concerns should clear the way for Congress to pass three long-stalled free trade agreements by July, industry officials said on Friday.
Dow applauds progress on US-Colombia free trade agreement
7-Apr-2011 Dow
The agreement will remove 90% of current tariffs assessed to Dow’s more than $200 million in American manufactured goods exported to Colombia.
Caterpillar CEO urges Congress to enact FTAs with Panama, South Korea, Colombia
31-Mar-2011 RTT News
Oberhelman noted that since the FTAs with Mexico, Chile, Central America, the Dominican Republic and Peru went into effect, Caterpillar exports have increased substantially to those regions of the world, with exports up fivefold to Mexico, threefold to Chile and up by more than 60 percent to Peru.
Kan may put free-trade talks on hold after quake in setback for Obama goal
25-Mar-2011 Bloomberg
“Corporate Japan is really pushing, as they know Japan’s failure to enter the TPP would be a further step towards second- or third rate nationhood on the global stage,” said Jesper Koll, head of equity research at JPMorgan & Co. in Tokyo.
Ag groups urge Senate Finance Committee to act FTAs for Korea, Colombia, and Panama
8-Mar-2011
In advance of a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Wednesday, March 9, with U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, the American Soybean Assn. (ASA), along with other representatives of the U.S. food and agriculture industry, reiterated support for swift passage of the pending U.S. trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama.
EU Commission sued over privileging corporate lobby groups in EU-India trade talks
15-Feb-2011 CEO
Today, Corporate Europe Observatory launched a legal action, suing the EU’s executive in the EU General Court for withholding documents related to the EU’s free trade talks with India. The Commission is accused of discriminating in favour of corporate lobby groups and of violating the EU’s transparency rules.
COAG criticizes French Azura for selling Saharawi tomatoes
31-Jan-2011 WSRW
The Spanish agrarian organisation COAG is convinced that the impending EU-Moroccan agricultural trade liberalisation agreement could be illegal for implicitly including Western Sahara. COAG has now condemned French company Azura’s presence in the occupied territories.
Canada-Morocco trade talks key to durum sales: CWB
28-Jan-2011 Reuters
Canada and Morocco said on Thursday they will start talks on a free-trade agreement, a deal that the Canadian Wheat Board says is vital to maintaining its sales of durum wheat.
Keidanren lobbies Kaieda for TPP
21-Jan-2011 Japan Times
The head of Japan’s largest business organization on Thursday urged Banri Kaieda to show leadership in moving the government toward negotiations on a Pacific free-trade agreement as the two met for the first time since Kaieda became trade minister.
ANCA welcomes AmCham call for new US-Armenia trade agreement
20-Jan-2011 Armenian Weekly
The American Chamber of Commerce in Armenia’s public call for a US-Armenia Trade and Investment Agreement was welcomed on Jan. 18 by the Armenian National Committee of America as a meaningful step toward putting in place a much-needed bilateral accord aimed at creating new export-driven jobs and economic growth in the US and Armenia.
Free trade critic warns of ’secondary liability’
17-Jan-2011 Business Day
Staunch Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement critic Jane Kelsey says a campaign by the powerful US entertainment industry to use the proposed free trade deal to make internet firms liable for illegal user downloads must not succeed.