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Ottawa mulls Keystone XL challenge under NAFTA after US dodges decision again
30-Apr-2014 Financial Post
While US President Barack Obama hoped to kick Keystone XL out of the way by delaying a decision ahead of mid-term elections, Ottawa is considering launching a challenge under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Must we link trade to social and environmental standards?
29-Apr-2014 Srfood.org
The inclusion of "sustainable development" chapters in bilateral trade agreements has generally met with resistance from the EU’s trading partners.
’EU’s ban on Indian mangoes, vegetables could hit free trade talks’
29-Apr-2014
The European Union’s decision to ban the import of Alphonso mangoes and four vegetables from India could derail EU-India free trade negotiations and weaken New Delhi’s relations with Brussels, according to the Europe India Chamber of Commerce (EICC).
Implementing Canada-EU free-trade deal could take another two years
29-Apr-2014
Six months after Prime Minister Stephen Harper travelled to Brussels to announce Canada’s largest-ever free-trade pact with Europe, Canada and the European Union are still negotiating key aspects of the deal, with implementation possibly as much as two years away.
Nontariff barriers and FTAs
29-Apr-2014
Frozen orange juice concentrate has been a thorny issue for almost a year. Washington has complained that the Korean Customs Service has been imposing unreasonable “country-of-origin” verification requirements on citrus growers from Florida. These are based on unsubstantiated suspicions that some orange juice concentrates from Florida may in fact originate from Brazil.
FTAs with China, Malaysia damaging poultry industry
28-Apr-2014
Free Trade Agreements signed with Malaysia as well as China, without taking the real stakeholders onboard, are damaging the local poultry industry, as the imports of processed chicken products under FTA with Malaysia are subject to zero percent import duty and from China at 16% import duty.
Qatar’s Al Jazeera files $150 million damages claim with Egypt
28-Apr-2014 Reuters
The Qatar-based satellite network Al Jazeera served Egypt with a $150 million compensation claim on Monday for what it said was damage to its business inflicted by Cairo’s military rulers, a step likely to worsen Qatari-Egyptian relations.
Al Jazeera sues Egypt for $150m after crackdown on journalists
28-Apr-2014 FT
Al Jazeera has lodged a $150m claim for compensation against Egypt, turning to an international investor arbitration tribunal in its latest bid to fight a crackdown by the government in Cairo.
NHS could be ’carved open’ by US healthcare profiteers, warns Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham
28-Apr-2014 The Independent
The NHS could be "carved open" for profiteering US private healthcare companies by the end of this year Labour has warned, as concerns grow over the implications of a landmark trade treaty between the US and the EU that critics say would give US healthcare giants, "irreversible" powers to bid for any NHS contract.
EFSA says use of peroxyacetic acid would not cause toxicity concerns
28-Apr-2014 Global Meat News
In response to a US request, the European Food Safety Authority has given a thumbs up to peracetic acid washes for chicken carcasses, an area of concern for consumers in the TTIP talks.
Chicken plant workers say chemicals sprayed on carcasses making them sick
28-Apr-2014 WBSTV
The US poultry industry maintains that chemical solutions to prevent food poisoning, a major concern in the EU-EU FTA talk, are safe while the workers are getting sick.
Costa Rican legislature ratifies free trade agreement with Colombia
27-Apr-2014
The Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica ratified a free trade agreement with Colombia on Thursday night that covers approximately 70 percent of exports from both countries, according to an official source on Friday.
US agrees to direct engagement with stakeholders on TPPA, says MTEM
27-Apr-2014
The US has agreed to hold direct engagements with key stakeholders on Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), according to the Malay business lobby group Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM) today.
US commerce chief sees TPP agreement this year
27-Apr-2014
US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker said she thinks the US and 11 other nations brokering an Asia-Pacific trade deal will reach an agreement they can send to the US Congress this year.
Afraid of free trade
25-Apr-2014
Diplomacy in South Asia is given over to give-no-quarter bureaucrats, who cleave to a nationalism that continues to trump economics.
Pak moves int’l forum against Turkish power firm
25-Apr-2014
The Ministry of Water and Power has approached the Washington-based International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and challenged the jurisdiction of a tribunal which has been hearing a damage suit worth $334 million sought by a Turkish power firm, Karkey Karadeniz Elektrik Uretim (KKEU), against Pakistan.
Gloom as Kenya fails to meet Comesa rule
25-Apr-2014
Kenyan sugarcane farmers and consumers face a bleak future, as Government departments tasked with implementing reforms in the sector drag their feet.
‘COMESA should settle tariff issues on sugar’
25-Apr-2014
Zambia Sugar Plc has expressed concern at the non-application of tariffs on sugar imported outside the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) as it is displacing regional producers.
PH sorts out Japan trade issues
25-Apr-2014
The Philippine government will continue to sort out the trade concerns raised by the Japanese government during the eighth meeting of the subcommittee on the Improvement of Business Environment under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa).
Dr M: Obama’s visit shouldn’t pressure Malaysia into signing TPPA
25-Apr-2014
Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir said Malaysia should not feel pressured into signing the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) just because of President Barack Obama’s visit to Malaysia this weekend.