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  1. Negotiations

:: Across the board ::

This section contains news and analysis of sweeping developments that affect the overall push and pull towards FTAs and bilateral investment treaties. This means major trends relating to bilateralism, often with global consequences, and other cross-cutting issues. New developments arising from US politics, the WTO or South-South alliance-building, for instance, are often reported here as they tend to have systemic impacts.

last update: May 2012

Does TTIP top TPP free-trade negotiations?
23-Sep-2013 Business Mirror
The transatlantic trade deal, if it does come about, seems potentially more far-reaching, even for Asia.
Fast-track: Enabler of the “free trade” agenda
28-Aug-2013 New American
“I have heard the argument that transparency would undermine the administration’s policy to complete the trade agreement because public opposition would be significant,” a US senator wrote. “This argument is exactly backwards. If transparency would lead to widespread opposition to a trade agreement, then that trade agreement should not be the policy of the United States.”
FTA with European Union kicks in
2-Aug-2013 Newsroom Panama
Free trade agreements signed by the European Union with Panama, Colombia, Honduras and Nicaragua came into force on Thursday August 1.
Big trading blocs moving at breakneck pace to raise free trade standards
22-May-2013 IP Watch
The pace to negotiate bilateral or plurilateral free trade agreements has been accelerating rapidly over the last month as the big trading blocs seem eager to position themselves in the race for market access and standards. Special report for Intellectual Property Watch.
Exclusive: EU says Chinese FTA possible, but wants market opening
22-May-2013 Reuters
The European Union is willing to deepen trade ties with China but wants to see concessions from Beijing first, documents seen by Reuters on Tuesday showed.
L’OMC a-t-elle encore un avenir ?
10-May-2013 La Tribune
Roberto Azedevo vient d’être choisi pour diriger l’institution à l’heure où les accords bilatéraux ont le vent en poupe. Ce type de contrats va pourtant à l’encontre du principe même de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce (OMC). L’institution internationale doit-elle se sentir menacée?
EU hesitant on free trade deal with China: Report
7-May-2013 AFP
Even as it seeks free trade deals with the United States and Japan, the EU sees little near-term prospect of a similar accord with China, one of the bloc’s most important trading partners, a senior EU official said Tuesday.
Political corruption and the ’free trade’ racket
30-Apr-2013 Al Jazeera
The US-EU free trade pact and TPP are about securing regulatory gains for major corporate interests, writes Dean Baker.
China left out of Obama free trade party
2-Apr-2013 FT
Obama’s new trade approach might be characterised as ABC – Anyone But China.
Experts call for BRICS free trade pact
27-Mar-2013 China Daily
"BRICS should consider proposing a free trade agreement at the summit, regardless of whether it’s feasible right now," said Wang Junwen, chairman of the China Association of International Trade.

    Links

  • #A18DoA - Global day of action to defeat free trade and investment treaties
    Website for the global day of action to defeat free trade and investment treaties #A18DoA
  • 21st Century Trade Agreements: Implications for Long-Run Development Policy
    A publication of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. The paper examines the policy space available under various free trade regimes for countries pursuing industrial policies for development.
  • Alianza Social Continental
    La Alianza Social Continental es un foro de organizaciones y movimientos sociales progresistas de las Américas, creado para intercambiar información, definir estrategias y promover acciones conjuntas, todo ello encaminado a la búsqueda de un modelo de desarrollo alternativo y democrático, que beneficie a nuestros pueblos
  • ICC
    International Chamber of Commerce
  • Movimientos.org
    A multilingual (English, Spanish, Portuguese) website focusing on social movements and their campaigns, including those against bilateral and regional FTAs.
  • Pambazuka
    In this week’s edition of the Emerging Powers News Round-Up, read a comprehensive list of news stories and opinion pieces related to China, India and other emerging powers...
  • People over profit
    People Over Profit is a campaign network that unites peoples movements and NGOs across the globe to stop free trade agreements (FTAs) and corporate plunder, launched in October 2016.
  • Peoples Global Action
    In February 1998, movements from all continents met in Geneva to launch a worldwide coordination of resistances to the global market, a new alliance of struggle and mutual support called Peoples’ Global Action against "Free" Trade and the World Trade Organisation (PGA).
  • Regional/Multilateral Integration Agreements
    Selected research papers on regional trade agreements, from internationaleconomics.net
  • SOMO
    SOMO links the negotiations and rules on international trade and investment with the actual conduct of corporations within these rules and agreements.
  • South Centre
    An intergovernmental organisation of developing countries
  • Stop fast track!
    10 days to stop fast track in the United States: Jan 22 - 31 2014
  • Third World Network
    TWN’s website is a good source of information and analysis about what’s happening within the multilateral trade system (WTO, UNCTAD, G77, etc).
  • WorldTradeLaw.net
    WorldTradeLaw.net offers a free library of current trade news and resources; a database of dispute settlement tables and statistics; and a user-friendly search tool for legal texts, and other documents.