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EU-Asia trade talks under sharp focus in Brussels
20-Oct-2008 New Europe
There is a general rush to get a “bilateral deal” done at the international as well as regional level in Asia, but many of the free trade agreements that have been negotiated or are being negotiated by Asian countries and the EU are “trade light” deals because they reflect foreign policy and political imperatives rather than economic goals, economic analysts said in Brussels last week.
Two Caribbeans emerge at EPA signing
20-Oct-2008 Haitie-Diplomatie
Setting aside the character assassination, suggestions that Caribbean heads had agreed a flawed document, letters questioning the role of senior figures and damaging inter-institutional rivalry, what is clear is that a more fundamental philosophical divide has emerged in the context of the EPA over the direction in which the region and its integration process is headed.
World Food Day a reminder of a global crisis further sidelined by campaign frenzy, financial woes
20-Oct-2008 DN!
These free trade agreements that the US government is continuing to negotiate, most of the emphasis is usually on the industrial-in the trade in consumer goods, but not in the impact on farming. In the debate this week, for instance, Barack Obama made a distinction that he opposed the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, but he supported the Peru Free Trade Agreement, because it had supposed labor safeguards in it. What is the impact of these free trade agreements on farming in this country, as well as in the other countries that are a part, signatories?
Business grouping facilitates US-Vietnam investment treaty
20-Oct-2008 Thanh Nien News
The US Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) is set to hold in Ho Chi Minh City today a roundtable with Vietnamese officials on a planned bilateral investment treaty between the two countries.
EU free trade agreement with Central America to include ethanol
20-Oct-2008 New Energy Finance
The European Commission has offered to permanently scrap import duties on ethanol from Central America as part of ongoing discussions over an Association Agreement between the two regions.
CEFTA fails to meet expectations
20-Oct-2008 Bosnia News
The Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), a trade agreement between Non-EU countries in Central and South-Eastern Europe, has failed to deliver positive impacts for Bosnia.
Sri Lanka develops cold feet on CEPA
20-Oct-2008 Economic Times
Concerns are growing that an economic pact between India and Sri Lanka has been indefinitely put off.
What next after EPA?
19-Oct-2008
Finally, the on-and-off official signing ceremony for a full Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the Caribbean and the European Union (EU) is over.
Sarkozy upbeat on trade pact
19-Oct-2008
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, declaring his love for Canada and touting his use of the Canadian model as an inspiration to reform France, says today’s Quebec City summit with Prime Minister Stephen Harper will result in a "decisive impetus" toward an "ambitious" economic partnership agreement between Canada and the European Union.
China signs zero-tariff trade deal with Senegal
19-Oct-2008
China signed Friday a trade deal with Senegal to offer zero-tariff treatment to more than 400 categories of goods imported from Senegal.
Serbia to enact EU trade deal
19-Oct-2008
Serbia’s government yesterday decided to put the country’s interim trade agreement with the European Union into full effect from January 1 2009.
Uganda to host event on Africa trade
19-Oct-2008
The tripartite summit, which starts on Saturday with a meeting of permanent secretaries, will bring together member states of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
’South-south cooperation a viable strategy’
19-Oct-2008
Developing countries have talked of the philosophy of South-south cooperation for development for a very long time. A number of initiatives was launched during the 1960s and 1970s. However, progress was modest because of lack of resources and institutional weaknesses in developing countries. With the emergence of countries like Brazil, India and South Africa in this millennium with considerable capabilities and collective development experiences that South-south cooperation has begun to be seen as a viable strategy.
‘Need to make some adjustments for India-Australia FTA’
19-Oct-2008
India-Australia free trade agreement (FTA) offers India “another opportunity to move the economy into greater efficiency by narrowing trade barriers and increasing access by outsiders to Indian economy,” though this entails some initial adjustment costs.
FTA with US may be delayed due to financial crisis
19-Oct-2008
The proposed free trade agreement (FTA) being negotiated between Malaysia and the US may face a delay following the impact of the global financial crisis especially on the American economy, a former US diplomat said. “On global trade agreements with our partners, there’s going to be some serious rethinking on financial services,” John Wolf, a 34-year career diplomat who was the ambassador to Malaysia from 1992-1995, told Bernama in an interview today.
Guyana now ready to sign EPA
19-Oct-2008 Radio Jamaica
After opting out of Wednesday’s signing, Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo now says the country is ready to take forward the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe.
Canada and Europe ponder trade pact
18-Oct-2008 NY Times
Canada’s prime minister, Stephen Harper, and President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, who is the president of the European Union as well, are expected to sign an agreement for preliminary negotiations meant to create a trade pact between Canada and Europe that would be even more sweeping than the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Oman-US FTA?
18-Oct-2008 Zawya
The two major areas holding up the implementation of the FTA are the liberalisation of the telecom sector and policy changes changes in the Sultanate’s software policy.
Maghreb regional and global integration: A dream to be fulfilled
18-Oct-2008 Peterson Institute
Book from the Peterson Insitute in the US
CARIFORUM signs EPA without Guyana, Haiti
17-Oct-2008 Jamaica Observer
The signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the CARIFORUM Group - Caribbean Community states and the Dominican Republic - went ahead as planned. However, Guyana and Haiti, which had both expressed reservations about sections of the agreement, did not attend the signing ceremony in Barbados.