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Mideast building trade ties with US
29-Mar-2005 LA Times
The Bush administration’s plan: to negotiate a series of trade agreements that would eventually fuse one of the world’s most economically and politically unstable regions into a giant free-trade zone.
UAE to only amend existing labour law
24-Mar-2005 Khaleej Times
Dr Khalid Mohammed Al Khazraji, UAE Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, denied reports that the country would be enacting a new labour law, stressing that the UAE Labour Law No. 8 of 1980 is undergoing several amendments. He also denied any link between the amendments under way and proposals submitted by the US delegation in the context of the US-UAE FTA negotiations.
Indigenous groups against the FTA
23-Mar-2005
On March 6, six indigenous communities in the Cauca valley in southwest Colombia voted in a referendum to reject the signing of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States.
Music case to test US-Australia FTA laws
22-Mar-2005
The music industry’s legal assault on BitTorrent file sharing will provide the first major test of new laws designed to limit ISPs’ liability for copyright breaches by their customers.
Bush’s pointsman has his job cut out
21-Mar-2005
After weeks of uncertainty, President George W Bush has nominated as US Trade Representative Rob Portman, a Republican Congressman from Ohio, better known for his loyalty to the President than for any experience in international trade negotiations.
US pushes bilateral trade pact
21-Mar-2005
US Assistant Trade Representative Barbara Weisel yesterday urged Manila to sign a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with Washington to boost its underperforming economy and keep it globally competitive.
FTA with US premature at this time, says Santos
21-Mar-2005
Trade and Industry Secretary Juan B. Santos sees no need to rush a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States. According to Santos, an FTA with the US at this time may even be "premature."
US-RP free trade pact a blow to economic sovereignty
21-Mar-2005 IBON
IBON calls on the Arroyo government to discontinue any negotiation on the proposed bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with the US, saying that the free trade pact is a blow to economic sovereignty and would bring the economy back to the era of the Bell Trade Act, which has stunted the Philippine economy to its pre-industrial level.
Global bully goes to Guatemala
21-Mar-2005 IP-Health
The global bully, the United States, has just coerced Guatemala, its latest victim, into repealing an important law to lower the price of pharmaceuticals and promote generic competition. The U.S. ambassador to Guatemala acknowledged that the Guatemalan law was intended to advance public health objectives. But, no matter, he said — U.S. commercial interests in the form of Big Pharma demanded that the law go.
No rush in free-trade deal with US - DTI
21-Mar-2005 Manila Bulletin
Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary Juan B. Santos said there is no rush in the proposed bilateral free-trade agreement with the US noting the country’s trade with the US is slowly losing steam while gaining markets elsewhere particularly, ASEAN, Japan and Greater China.
Egypt: Privatizing the Cabinet
21-Mar-2005 Business Monthly
Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rachid Mohamed Rachid is bringing three decades of private sector experience to his post, taking on the twin challenge of modernizing industry and expanding foreign trade.
American goods likely to become cheaper as Oman proposes FTA
20-Mar-2005
Building on a spree of free-trade deals across the region, Oman is in the process of signing a free-trade agreement with the United States by the end of 2005 or early 2006.
Piracy Threat to China FTA
20-Mar-2005
Australian Industry Group chief executive Heather Ridout has warned Chinese officials that intellectual piracy could be a critical block to plans for a free trade agreement, with international agencies estimating that 90 per cent of copyright goods sold in China are counterfeit.
Tifa is contrary to national interest
20-Mar-2005
Bangladesh will lose its right to speak for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) if it signs the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (Tifa) with the United States, economists at a discussion said yesterday.
What’s happening with the FTAA negotiations?
19-Mar-2005 HardBeatNews
By becoming an associate member of Mercosur, Cuba, at least indirectly, may have some influence in how the FTAA is finally formulated.
Malaysia recommended for FTA talks with US
18-Mar-2005
Malaysia is among five countries that the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has recommended that the US administration explore the possibility of negotiating free trade agreements (FTA) with.
Trade, development, cooperation - what future for Africa?
18-Mar-2005
Bi- and multilateral trade relations between external actors and individual African states or regional blocs are becoming ever more decisive. The trade policies of both the USA and the EU are anything but helpful.
US urges Philippines to sign FTA
17-Mar-2005 AFP
US Assistant Trade Representative Barbara Weisel urged the Philippines to sign a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) with Washington to boost its underperforming economy and keep it globally competitive.
Costa Rica rules out immediate ratification of FTA with US
17-Mar-2005 Xinhua
Costa Rica on Wednesday ruled out the possibility of an immediate ratification of the free trade agreement (FTA) between Central America and the United States due to pressure from economic and social sectors.
Speeding free trade
17-Mar-2005 Oxford Business Group
Washington wants to sign Free Trade Agreements with every country in the Middle East - North Africa region by 2013, to promote economic and political development in line with recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission.