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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

Blanco: Free trade agreements are rendering WTO rules obsolete
21-Mar-2013 This Day
Dr. Herminio Blanco, the Mexican Candidate for the position of the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, says the rules being negotiated in the WTO are becoming obsolete when compared to free trade agreements negotiated all over the world.
CALL TO ACTION! Deal a decisive blow to Neoliberalism - End the WTO and Stop the new wave of Free Trade Agreements - The time is now for Economic Justice!
21-Mar-2013
The Indonesian People’s Movement Against Neocolonialism-Imperialism (Gerak Lawan) would like to work hand in hand with other movements in Asia and around the world, to dismantle the ongoing efforts to revive the WTO in the upcoming Ministerial meeting to be held in Bali, Indonesia on 3-6 December 2013.
China’s investments prompt call for new rules
8-Jan-2013 WSJ
The US is trying to use negotiations over a Pacific free-trade pact, called the Trans-Pacific Partnership, to formulate rules governing the behavior of state-owned concerns. China isn’t a party to the talks, but the US hopes Beijing would ultimately agree to whatever limitations the pact imposes on state-owned companies, reports the Wall Street Journal
Top trade official sees US seeking more multilateral deals
11-Dec-2012 WSJ
The administration’s top trade official signaled Tuesday that the U.S. intends to pursue deals with coalitions of countries rather seek out the type of one-on-one agreements that were the among the hallmark achievements of President Barack Obama‘s first term.
Anniversary of the Seattle WTO protests
3-Dec-2012 Swans Commentary
Today I noticed an article about an "American" company that is suing Canada for an alleged World Trade Organization (WTO) violation.
Key Republican wants Obama to "go big" on trade deals in second term
16-Nov-2012 Reuters
A senior Republican U.S. lawmaker on Friday urged President Barack Obama to "go big" and "go smart" in pursuit of new trade agreements in his second term in office.
Fact Check: Has Obama ’not signed one new free-trade agreement’?
9-Oct-2012 CNN
Mitt Romney stated Monday that US President Barack Obama "has not signed one new free-trade agreement in the past four years." "I’ll reverse that failure," the Republican presidential nominee said. But is his assertion true?
Free trade agreements roil global auto manufacturers
8-Aug-2012 PDI
When I was in South Korea for five days last month, I noticed that very few European and American cars were on the road in Seoul and Keosu.
Video documentary: Global crises, regional solutions
1-Aug-2012 TNI
In this video, activists from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe argue that regional integration is the only viable response to the current economic, climate, food and energy crises.
Ford upset EU wants Japan free-trade talks
19-Jul-2012 The Detroit News
Ford Motor Co. on Wednesday was the first automaker to voice displeasure after the European Union announced it wants to start free-trade negotiations with Japan.

    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.