bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo

All articles

Andean countries, US start 12th round of talks on FTA
20-Sep-2005 Xinhua
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and the United States on Monday began the 12th round of negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA), in an effort to put a deal in effect in 2006.
Thai farmers head to the US
20-Sep-2005 Bangkok Post
As senior bureaucrats from Thailand and the US prepare to enter the fifth round of negotiations over the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in Hawaii later this month, two Thai organic farmers have started their own campaign in the US. Phakpum Inpaen and Kanya Onsri from Surin province left Thailand yesterday on a 23-day circuit tour to talk to people in the US about how the FTA deal will threaten their survival.
Thailand calls for deepening ties under FTA
19-Sep-2005 Hindu Business Line
Thailand has advised India not be deterred by the "aftershocks" of a tariff reduction on products under the Early Harvest Scheme in the Indo-Thai Free Trade Agreement (FTA) initiated in September last year.
RP-US FTA: A skewed deal in the making
18-Sep-2005 IBON
The Philippines cannot hope for a “mutually-beneficial” relationship with the US through a free trade agreement founded on the US neocolonial agenda.
Made for the USA
16-Sep-2005 Business Today
Nine months into the first experiment in free trade with the United States, few participating manufacturers have reported a jump in production - most haven’t shipped unit one.
Nippon Keidanren seeks FTA with 6 Persian Gulf countries
15-Sep-2005 Japan Today
The Japan Business Federation, the nation’s biggest business lobby, urged the government on Tuesday to start negotiations at an early date on concluding a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, which consists of six oil producers.
Seoul gingerly courts trade pacts
14-Sep-2005 JoongAng Daily
Seoul is trying to adopt a more flexible approach to deeper international economic ties after the very public and very intense domestic brawl over the ratification of a free trade agreement with Chile.
US FTA seen as threat to Thai identity
14-Sep-2005 Bangkok Post
The free trade agreement with the United States threatens Thailand’s ecological biodiversity and cultural uniqueness, researchers warned yesterday. Visut Baimai, director of the Biodiversity Research and Training Programme, said he feared the FTA would accelerate deforestation to grow profitable single-crop plantations. This, he said, could undermine both the ecosystem and sustainable economic development.
Govt urged to seek consensus before signing FTA with US
14-Sep-2005 MCOT
The Thai government should seek a consensus from the public before signing a free trade area (FTA) agreement with the United States, according to a leading academic.
S. Korea, EFTA initial free trade accord
14-Sep-2005 Asia Pulse
South Korea and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) initialed a free trade agreement (FTA) on Tuesday, a deal that should give domestic companies a beachhead in the European market, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.
Significant progress made in Seoul-ASEAN FTA talks
13-Sep-2005 Asia Pulse
South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have made substantial progress in their negotiations on a free trade agreement, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday.
The fleeting charm of free trade
13-Sep-2005 The Star
The signs are scattered and tentative. But it’s beginning to look as if American-style free trade is going out of style.
US and Saudi Arabia conclude bilateral WTO accession agreement
12-Sep-2005
US Trade Representative Rob Portman today announced that the United States and Saudi Arabia have concluded bilateral negotiations on issues related to Saudi Arabia’s World Trade Organization accession.
Korea-ASEAN FTA talks in final stage
12-Sep-2005 Korea Times
South Korea is expected to conclude free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) within the year as the fifth round of FTA talks between the two sides have shown significant progress, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Sunday.
Key Gulf-India Inc meeting in Jan
12-Sep-2005 Financial Express
The second meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Indian businessmen will be held from January 28-29 next year in Muscat, Oman.
China likely to profit most from Asean free-trade deal
12-Sep-2005 Bangkok Post
Thailand’s trade deficit with China could be as high as $2 billion in 2018, when the Asean-China free trade area (FTA) agreement becomes fully operational, a study by Chulalongkorn University shows.
Commercial accord with Namibia published
11-Sep-2005 Angola Press
An economic cooperation agreement between the Angolan and Namibian governments, aimed at the promotion and development of trade relations between both countries in this field, was recently published.
South Korea, Mexico to push for limited trade talks
11-Sep-2005 Reuters South Africa
South Korea and Mexico have agreed to discuss a limited economic cooperation after failing to open talks on a free trade agreement, Seoul’s presidential office and foreign ministry said on Saturday.
Aggressive response suggested to US push
10-Sep-2005 Bangkok Post
Thailand should be more aggressive in its response to the US push for environmental and labour protection under the bilateral free trade area (FTA) agreement, a seminar sponsored by the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) was told.
Thai specialists in US for FTA technical talks
10-Sep-2005 Bangkok Post
On liberalising services and investment, Thailand insists on adopting a "positive list" approach, where only those sectors explicitly outlined in the agreement would be opened. The US insists on a "negative list", under which all sectors are on the table except those listed as sensitive.