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Free trade and protectionism don’t mix
2-Oct-2015 Ottawa Citizen
Dairy farmers from around Ottawa took their cows and tractors to Parliament Hill this week, to protest the changes they expect in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.
Regional free trade deals may create ’legal mess’ within WTO framework
2-Oct-2015 Sputnik
New regional mega-agreements on free trade between the United States, Europe, Pacific Rim nations and some World Trade Organization (WTO) members will create numerous legal problems within the WTO framework.
Foreign direct investment, investment agreements and economic development: myths and realities
2-Oct-2015 South Centre
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is one of the most ambiguous and the least understood concepts in international economics. Common debate on FDI is confounded by several myths regarding its nature and impact.
Malaysia should withdraw from TPP, says Malay economic body
2-Oct-2015 The Malaysian Insider
Malaysia should withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) now, said a Malay economic group, warning that the contentious trade deal will result in negative economic growth and have implications on the country’s sovereignty.
US pushes anti-tobacco compromise in Pacific trade deal
2-Oct-2015 The Edge Markets
Governments will be allowed to block tobacco companies from suing over anti-smoking measures under a US proposal being considered by Pacific trading partners as part of Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.
TPP trade talks extended as negotiators struggle for a deal
2-Oct-2015 Hurriyet Daily News
The talks remained bogged down after two days of negotiations between ministers from the United States, Japan, Australia and nine other countries over a handful of sticky issues.
Nouvelle tentative pour conclure l’accord commercial trans-pacifique (TPP)
2-Oct-2015 La Libre
Les représentants de 12 pays riverains du Pacifique se réunissent à Atlanta pour tenter de parvenir à une entente sur un vaste accord commercial, connu sous son acronyme TPP.
A need for preventive investment protection?
2-Oct-2015 Kluwer Arbitration Blog
There is an obvious need at the investors’ side for a mechanism making it possible to prevent the threatened violation of their investment. It is fair to say that where the violation of the investment is still only potential, notifying the dispute should be the primary tool for investment protection.
Auto, dairy, drug issues arrest TPP talks
2-Oct-2015 SBS
Major challenges in three areas remain in concluding the Trans-Pacific Partnership, according to officials involved in the discussions.
Selling Canada out, one deal at a time
2-Oct-2015 The Star
What little we know about the Harper government’s many international trade deals is cause for grave concern.
No longer a fair game?
2-Oct-2015 CDR
What are the next steps for investment protection in South Africa, as the country draws up new legislation governing foreign direct investment following the termination of a number of bilateral investment treaties?
Health and trade: What hope for SDG 3
1-Oct-2015 Health and Trade Network
Emma Woodford from the Health and Trade Network examines SDG3 on health and well-being and questions if its targets are achievable given the damaging nature of legally binding trade agreements being simultaneously negotiated by SDG signatories.
Cancer patient disrupts TPP negotiations
1-Oct-2015 Common Dreams
Arrested from hotel demanding to see the secret "death sentence clause"
ALBA and the FTAA: the Dilemma of Integration or Annexation
1-Oct-2015 CUBARTE
Latin American integration has caused rivers of ink to flow and provoked endless torrents of rhetoric. However, a significant issue still remains unresolved.
Corporate power unbound: investor-state arbitration of IP monopolies on medicines - Eli Lilly v. Canada and the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement
1-Oct-2015 SSRN
Despite the deep irony of free trade agreements being subverted to codify and extend anti-competitive monopoly rights the joining of enhanced intellectual property rights (IPRs) and strengthened investor rights is creating a wild-west opportunity for unbounded corporate power.
Why reassurances that TTIP will not affect the right to regulate miss the point
1-Oct-2015 BEUC
Often times, we hear that the “right to regulate” will be guaranteed under TTIP. Isn’t this the strongest indication that this right might come under pressure?
Canada misses the cut for EU’s proposed investor-state dispute court
1-Oct-2015 Embassy
Canada will likely be left out of a new system proposed by the European Union for settling disputes between countries and corporations—at least for now.
Farmers protest over trade talk fears
1-Oct-2015 The Free Press
Farmers in Ontario and Quebec fear that the Trans-Pacific Partnership could spell the end of the supply management system that keeps their operations profitable.
Murray Rankin v. Canada
30-Sep-2015 Focus Online
Rankin acted on behalf of an American mining corporation in its successful bid to sue Canada using NAFTA.
Cities and regions express their views on the sharing economy, the Trade in Services Agreement and a fair corporate tax system
30-Sep-2015 Committee of the Regions
The Commission for Economic Policy of the EU Committee of the Regions held an external meeting whose agenda was the adoption of the draft opinionson the local and regional dimension of the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA).