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US senators say additional beef talks violate April deal
24-Jun-2008 Chosun Ilbo
US Senator Max Baucus says there’s no scientific proof for Korea’s claim that beef from older cattle pose a health risk. Other senators echoed his words adding that the latest moves could bring difficulties to passing the bilateral free trade deal.
UAE-Japan to benefit from FTA
24-Jun-2008 Emirates Business
A UAE-Japan FTA should focus on bridging the gap in trade between the two sides and encourage Japan to pump more investment into the UAE to enable it to acquire technology, which is needed for its economic diversification programme, said the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research.
Europe drive vs workers assailed
24-Jun-2008 ABS-CBN
A regional coalition of civil-society organizations in Southeast Asia has criticized the European Parliament decision mandating the forcible deportation of undocumented workers in Europe. The decision negates the goals of the proposed EU free-trade deal with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), seeking to open trade and investments including the seamless entry of Asean workers to Europe.
India-Singapore IPR cooperation likely to be signed soon
23-Jun-2008 PIB
Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, has stated that a Bilateral Agreement on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Cooperation between India and Singapore will be signed shortly.
Trade minister recounts beef talks with US
23-Jun-2008 Chosun Ilbo
"Whenever the negotiations went against us or whenever the US side cited ’science’ (to emphasize that US beef is scientifically safe), we pointed to the photo [of the June 10 candlelight vigil in downtown Seoul, with the largest number of protesters] and said, ’Look at this. Do you think this can be explained with science?’ "
New beef agreement still leaves room for mad cow fears
23-Jun-2008 Hankyoreh
While the Korean government claims it has made a “better-than-expected achievement” through additional negotiations between South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon and US Trade Representative Susan Schwab over import terms for US beef, it hasn’t been enough to defuse public fears over the safety of the American meat.
Seoul to implement new US beef import conditions this week: officials
23-Jun-2008 Yonhap
The South Korean government will put new U.S. beef import terms into effect as early as this week, officials said on Monday, signaling a full resumption of imports, which have been suspended for nearly five years.
China: Free trade ahead
23-Jun-2008 China Daily
China is now involved in 12 FTA negotiations with 29 countries and regions including the Asia-Pacific region, Latin America, EU, Africa and Oceania
Serving whose interests? The political economy of trade in services agreements
23-Jun-2008
There is a fundamental contradiction between the global market model and the intrinsically social nature of services
Asian women workers’ declaration on free trade agreements
23-Jun-2008 CAW
There is increasing and irrefutable evidence that free trade deals devalue and homogenise cultures, stunt economic development, displace communities and are major drivers of increasing rural and urban poverty. Women are disproportionately affected.
Japan’s Parliament approves free trade with ASEAN
21-Jun-2008 Radio Australia
Japan’s Parliament, the Diet has endorsed a free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The agreement will come into force on the first day of the second month after Japan and at least one of the 10 ASEAN member complete domestic procedures, such as parliamentary endorsement.
Canadians can restore their rights and freedoms by cancelling NAFTA
21-Jun-2008 The Canadian
The selling of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to Canadians was based upon a basic fundamental lie. That lie is that there was no free exchange of goods and services between Canada and the United States until the late 1980’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA), that spawned NAFTA. Canadians have accordingly been conned into a belief that the cancelling of NAFTA would result in the subsequent collapse of the Canadian economy.
Not much hope for Charest’s vision of Canada-Europe free trade agreement
21-Jun-2008 The Gazette
At last week’s international economic forum in Montreal, there was plenty of talk about an initiative being pushed by Premier Jean Charest: a Canada-Europe free trade agreement.
EU decision to upgrade relationship with Israel reveals Europe’s selective adherence to human rights standards
21-Jun-2008 AIC
Monday’s announcement for increased relations concerns three areas: diplomatic cooperation; Israel’s participation in European plans and agencies; and an examination of possible Israeli integration into the European Single Market.
FTAA vs ALBA - Choosing trade routes
21-Jun-2008 Newsday
Even as the FTAA cools on the back-burner and Venezuela President Hugo Chavez pitches ALBA as a viable trade alternative, there are concerns that ALBA may not suit Trinidad and Tobago’s palette.
Strikes, protests besiege South Korean regime
21-Jun-2008 Workers World
South Korea has been seeing nightly mass demonstrations for over a month, a candlelight march of 1 million people on June 10 and a strike wave of key industrial unions. All are connected to a trade agreement between Washington and the current government of President Lee Myung-bak that would allow US beef into the country.
US, China to seek bilateral investment treaty
21-Jun-2008 MarketWatch
The US and China said Wednesday they have agreed to negotiate a treaty to protect private investment in their countries.
Japan agrees to amend trade treaty
18-Jun-2008 Manila Standard
Japan is willing to sign a side agreement with the Philippines to quiet concerns about provisions in a free-trade treaty deemed inconsistent with or violate the Philippine Constitution, an official said yesterday.
US, China aim for launch of investment treaty talks at bilateral meeting
18-Jun-2008 Forbes
Senior US and Chinese officials today launched a two-day series of talks that could result in the launch of negotiations for a new investment treaty that the US hopes would help expand US investment in China and protect existing investment.
Some interim EPAs may not be concluded
18-Jun-2008 AllAfrica.com
Some of the 35 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states that have initialled interim economic partnership agreements (EPAs) may still withdraw from the process — apart from the 44 states that have so far refused to sign EPAs with the European Union — according to researchers studying the fraught trade negotiating process.