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Free trade agreements kill people!
20-Oct-2011 Via Campesina
"In light of threats from FTAs and TPP, we call on our governments to completely reject the attempts to conclude the upcoming agreements and to stop the implentation of the previous FTAs."
Civil society platform on IP in the Trans Pacific Partnership
20-Oct-2011 Infojustice
Eight civil society groups have released a platform on the intellectual property and health content of the Trans Pacific Partnership. The platform calls ex-officio border measures “inappropriate,” rejects a “one size fits all” regime for patent validity, and warns against using the suggested retail price or rightholder-submitted measurements of value in the determination of damages for IP infringement.
EU urges China to open public-contract market
20-Oct-2011 European Voice
The European Union is hoping to use next week’s summit with China (25 October) to press the Chinese authorities on obstacles facing European investors and to discuss access for European bidders to China’s public-procurement market.
Noda, Lee push trade talks / Leaders agree to step up efforts to negotiate bilateral pact
20-Oct-2011 Yomiuri Shimbun
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak agreed Wednesday to speed up working-level talks to resume bilateral free trade negotiations.
SA and the EU trade negotiations - A step closer
20-Oct-2011 FM
In negotiations to forge an economic partnership agreement (EPA), the EU has agreed to improve market access for about 80% of the agricultural products South Africa has asked to be accepted. However, the EU has yet to budge on wine, sugar and starch.
ACP, LDC sugar suppliers deplore EC’s CAP proposals
20-Oct-2011 ACP
The ACP and LDC cane sugar suppliers express their profound concern and dismay at the Commission’s proposals in respect of the elimination of sugar quotas in the context of the CAP reform announced on 12 October 2011.
ACP, LDC sugar suppliers deplore EC’s CAP proposals
20-Oct-2011
Final KORUS FTA battle looms at National Assembly
19-Oct-2011 Hankyoreh
Korea’s Democratic Party has set as its platform an approach of blocking the ratification of the US-Korea FTA through any means necessary if its preconditions are not met.
Most CIS countries sign up to free-trade zone
19-Oct-2011 RFE/RL
Years of fruitless negotiations to create a free-trade zone among the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States unexpectedly came to a successful conclusion on October 18, when Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin appeared before journalists in St. Petersburg and said: "We discussed [a free-trade agreement], made some corrections, and adopted its final text."
India, Brazil, South Africa to hold meet for enhancing trade
19-Oct-2011 IANS
In a bid to enhance trade ties, India, Brazil and South Africa have decided to hold an annual meeting of trade ministers with New Delhi being the venue for the first such dialogue, the South African commerce ministry has said.
FTA will make foreigners overly powerful
19-Oct-2011 Free Malaysia Today
Foreign investors can bypass local laws and punish the government if the latter stops them from making profits under a FTA, says DAP’s Charles Santiago.
US-Korea trade deal hurts Canadian hog farmers
18-Oct-2011 Portage
With the US Congress approving its free trade deal with South Korea last week, Canadian pork could soon be shut out of its third largest market.
Ukraine may turn to Customs Union if EU talks fail - minister
18-Oct-2011 Ria Novosti
Ukraine may move closer to the Customs Union of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan if the European Union blocks its association agreement with Kiev, Ukraine’s Social Policy Minister Serhiy Tyhypko said.
Pacific nations eye ’stepping-stone’ trade deal
18-Oct-2011 AFP
The United States and eight other Pacific countries hope to announce the crux of a major trade deal at an Asia-Pacific summit next month, officials said Monday, a step toward an elusive APEC-wide accord.
Pacific free trade pact may allow no exceptions: gov’t tells DPJ
18-Oct-2011 Mainichi
The Japanese government told ruling party lawmakers Monday that it is unclear whether exceptions will be admitted in abolishing tariffs under the proposed trans-Pacific free trade framework as they weighed whether Japan should join talks for the multilateral pact.
Assembly in deadlock over KORUS FTA
18-Oct-2011 Korea Times
Korea’s National Assembly is locked in an impasse with the ruling and the opposition parties showing no signs of backing down from their position on the long-stalled Korea-US free trade agreement (KORUS FTA).
US-Colombia FTA to be signed in days: Adviser to Obama
18-Oct-2011 Colombia Reports
The US Free Trade Agreement with Colombia will be signed into law within days, according to the US President’s senior adviser on Latin America.
The view from Europe: Central America, Europe and the Caribbean
17-Oct-2011 Dominican Today
Little has been said about how the Caribbean, Central America and eventually almost all of Latin America will in a matter of years be competing directly in Europe, writes David Jessop
ASEAN prepares framework of principles for Asia-Pacific wide FTA
17-Oct-2011 Mainichi
This move reflects a deep concern among some member countries that ASEAN could be sidelined by the US-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership that has attracted attention even as it is being negotiated, especially if Japan decides to come on board, ASEAN official sources said.
Comprehensive PJEPA FTA review pushed
17-Oct-2011 Manila Bulletin
The Philippines is expected to call for a comprehensive review of its free trade agreement with Japan to put the country in a better position, but such move should not be in conflict with Japan’s stance that the review should only focus on further liberalizing this bilateral trade agreement.