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Report from El Salvador: Why They All Keep Coming
1-Jul-2008
Having just spent time south of the border in a poor country whose major export is people, I’ve seen firsthand what’s driving people north - and why conventional political solutions aren’t going to deter desperate Salvadorans from coming to the U.S. Largely missing from this year’s campaign is any serious reappraisal of our foreign, military, and trade policies that have forced millions Latin Americans to uproot themselves and seek opportunities for a better life far from home.
Bimstec meet will focus on poverty, food security
1-Jul-2008
Seven countries of the Bay of Bengal rim will plan a common agenda for agriculture development to ensure food security and measures aimed at poverty alleviation at their first ministerial meeting here on 9 July.
European trade bloc EFTA eyes closer ties with Asia
1-Jul-2008
Ministers from the four-nation European economic grouping EFTA agreed on Monday to extend their network of free-trade and investment pacts to India and key Southeast Asian countries.
$1bn under threat
1-Jul-2008
The Fiji Sugar Corporation might not be able to meet the first quota under the billion-dollar export deal with the European Union if cane supply problems continue.
McCain to talk free trade in Latin America
1-Jul-2008
John McCain has changed his mind about the president’s tax cuts and drilling for oil off the U.S. coast, but the Republican presidential hopeful says his advocacy of free trade is unyielding.
China deal lacking support
1-Jul-2008
The number of no votes, have outnumbered the yes votes in submissions on the government’s Free Trade Agreement with China.
Action alert: Write a letter to the President of South Korea
1-Jul-2008
Please write a letter to the President of South Korea to immediately stop the police crackdown and imprisonment of people engaged in protest against the Korea-US beef.
Economic Partnerships Matter
1-Jul-2008
We are told that the fundamental principles and objectives of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and CARIFORUM states are defined by the Cotonou Agreement. We are advised that this agreement seeks to create sustainable development of the states, their smooth and gradual integration in the world market, and eradication of poverty.
Indonesia-Japan economic partnership agreement goes into effect tomorrow
1-Jul-2008
Tomorrow will be a historic day for Indonesia and Japan as the two countries sign an economic partnership agreement (EPA) which will go into effect on July 1, 2008.
Govt ‘must include workers in EPA talks’
1-Jul-2008
The Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) has written to the interim Government to include workers in talks regarding the various trade agreements Fiji is treaty to.
Investment a likely hotbed in FTA talk
1-Jul-2008
Canberra’s decision — or non-decision — about Sinosteel’s move on Murchison came as less of a surprise within China than it did in Australia.
More than 100 injured in SKorea beef protests
29-Jun-2008 AFP
South Korean police clashed violently with protesters opposing US beef imports in Seoul, leaving more than 100 people injured
S Korea, EU to hold minister-level talks on FTA
29-Jun-2008 Xinhua
Trade ministers from South Korea and the European Union will meet next week to resolve contentious issues such as auto trade and rules of origin in their free trade negotiations
India, Indonesia close to sorting differences in ASEAN FTA
29-Jun-2008 PTI
India is believed to be working out a trade off with Indonesia on palm oil, the last hurdle to a Free Trade Agreement that New Delhi has been negotiating with ASEAN for several years.
Sacu, EU to sign interim economic partnership agreement next week
28-Jun-2008 Engineering News
The Southern African Customs Union plans to sign an interim economic partnership agreement with the European Union next week. At the end of 2007, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland had all decided to initiate an Interim EPA with the EU, but South Africa had decided against. The union on Friday said all five of its members were now working together, and that the union intended to sign an interim EPA with the EU by July 1.
Mexico seeks combined FTA with Central American countries
28-Jun-2008 Xinhua
Mexico has begun negotiations with several Central American countries to merge its three individual Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with them into a single one
Japan, Switzerland in last-minute talks on free trade accord
27-Jun-2008 TMC Net
Japan and Switzerland continued last-minute negotiations Friday on a broad agreement to liberalize bilateral trade. They had planned to strike a deal Friday, but some differences apparently remain regarding how to liberalize imports of Swiss agricultural products to Japan.
Opposition parties launch campaigns to nullify beef announcement
27-Jun-2008 Hankyoreh
South Korea’s opposition parties declared the official announcement to resume imports of US beef null and void and launched a series of campaigns to have it withdrawn. Opposition party members have also proposed plans to hold a national referendum on the beef agreement and plan to seek other forms of legal action against it.
New protests as South Korea checks US beef for import
27-Jun-2008 Reuters
Militant protesters blocked trucks from leaving warehouses for a second day on Friday as South Korea resumed quarantine checks on US beef imports, moving to bring the product to market for the first time in nine months.
RI warned of toxic waste from Japan
27-Jun-2008 Jakarta Post
Environmental groups have warned that Japan could "dispose waste" in Indonesia under an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) the countries signed last year.