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Seoul affirms interest in joining TPP, but says China deal comes first
South Korea’s Trade Ministry made clear Monday that the country will prioritize bilateral free trade negotiations with China this year over the multilateral Trans-Pacific Partnership
La Via Campesina appelle à la cohérence des politiques agricoles de l’Union européenne
La Via Campesina rappelle les liens très forts entre l’agriculture familiale et les accords de libre échange : l’un et l’autre sont en parfaite contradiction, alors que les défis sociaux et environnementaux qui sont ceux de notre temps doivent pris au sérieux.
Recipe for ruin: TTIP - the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
John Hilary, Executive Director of War on Want, introduces TTIP, the free trade and investment agreement being negotiated between the EU and USA; talk given to Friends of Le Monde Diplomatique at Café Diplo, London, 4 November 2013
US lawmakers propose fast-track bill for trade agreements
US lawmakers on Thursday proposed a bill to give the White House power to fast-track international trade agreements as the United States gears up for a hectic year of trade negotiations.
US drafts Ukraine sanctions, as EU mulls new talks
The US state department has been remodelled to fit the EU’s so-called Eastern Partnership policy on pulling former Soviet republics closer to the West amid Russia’s new assertiveness in the region
Korea and Myanmar sign investment guarantee treaty
The governments of Myanmar and Korea have signed an investment guarantee agreement to protect companies like POSCO and Daewoo International operating in Burma.
Protecting foreign investments in Sub-Saharan Africa: The SADC and its protocol on finance and investment
The SADC protocol on investment provides rights to investors, including investor-state dispute settlement provisions, in southern Africa no matter what country they hail from. Thus, it goes way beyond typical bilateral investment treaties (BITs) while protecting foreign companies operating in SADC countries without BIT coverage.
PHL sets sights on inclusive growth from free trade deals
The government will put more teeth on initiatives, including education drives and linking small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to trade chains, to make free trade agreement (FTA) benefits trickle down to the grassroots, an official said Tuesday night.
Second largest SAARC partner hungry for Lankan exports, FTA trade
Sri Lanka’s second largest trade partner in SAARC, Pakistan, is hungry for more Lankan exports in the coming year-while also closely looking at Sri Lanka’s sugar sector for entry.
DTI to give more lectures on FTAs
To boost the country’s use rate of free trade agreements, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is planning to give more lectures on FTAs the Philippines is party to and tap social media to expand the program’s reach.
South Korea seeks upgrade of FTA with India
South Korea is likely to press India for an upgrade of the bilateral free trade pact when finance ministers of the two countries meet on Wednesday, arguing that its rival Japan was offered a better deal. However, India is unlikely to immediately revise the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed in 2009, an official told ET.
Australians to Canadians: Beware TPP economic fallout
Over 125,000 people have spoken out about the damaging Internet censorship proposals in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Now, our friends in Australia are sounding the alarm about how the TPP could wreak havoc on Canada’s economy.
VN seeks Walmart support in TPP talks
Viet Nam hopes to have the support of major US retail corporation Walmart in the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations as well as free trade pacts with other countries, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh said yesterday, Jan 7.
Peru opens free trade agreement talks with Armenia
Peru’s Foreign Minister and her Armenian counterpart met in Lima on Monday to discuss the prospect of a free trade agreement between the two countries. Armenia will soon join the Russian-led Customs Union, which aims to become Eurasia’s economic union modeled after the EU by 2015.
Explaining ISDS
A five-minute video from FTA Watch (Thailand)
FIAN launches international action: TTIP and TPP void
FIAN International launched an action letter addressing the EU, USA and a number of countries negotiating the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) asking civil society networks, organizations and people interested in supporting the campaign to circulate, sign and send the letter to their local authorities
Japan, Turkey agree on trade, nuclear power tie-ups
Japan and Turkey agreed on Jan. 7 to begin talks on an economic partnership agreement, part of a drive to build closer ties as they also step up cooperation on nuclear technology.
The Guardian: Mexico would be better off without NAFTA
In an extensive report on “20 years on from the Signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)”, the British newspaper, the Guardian, has claimed that Mexico could have maintained economic growth that it sustained between 1960 and 1980 without the need for an agreement.
Business groups back Obama on trade amid historic debate
Some of the largest US business groups are lining up behind President Barack Obama to pressure Congress to clear the way for a pair of trade deals that could set rules for more than half the world’s economy.
Ecuador-EU to negotiate trade agreement
Ecuador and the European Union will hold their first round of negotiations on a Multipart Trade Agreement from January 13 to 17 in Brussels, announced an official source.