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Regional trade agreement more lopsided against Pacific
In the middle of July, Pacific Island Trade Ministers will meet in Samoa with their Australian and New Zealand counterparts to discuss whether or not to expand the negotiations of PACER-Plus to include services and investment, reports the Pacific Network on Globalisation.
TDM call for papers: "Reform of investor-state dispute settlement: In search of a roadmap"
Transnational Dispute Management are pleased to announce a forthcoming special issue: "Reform of Investor-State Dispute Settlement: In Search of A Roadmap."
Will European requirements for labeling GMO foods survive new trade negotiations?
Will US trade negotiators seek the elimination of GMO restrictions in Europe through the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership?
EU envoy prods Canada to finalize free trade deal
European access for Canadian beef still a sticking point
Fading trade timelines
The timelines for a possible India-Europe bilateral trade and investment agreement are getting tight with both sides supposedly failing to close the deal on some critical issues.
Freeing trade between South Africa and Nigeria
If a Free Trade Area were negotiated between Africa’s two largest economies, South Africa and Nigeria, it would have a powerful effect across the sub-continent. However, there are concerns that such an FTA would give one-sided benefits to the South Africans.
Next round of EU-Malaysia FTA talks to resume in Q4, says envoy
The next round of negotiations on the EU-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement is expected to resume in the fourth quarter, says Ambassador & Head of Delegation of the European Union to Malaysia, Luc Vandebon.
US pork industry counting on bilateral FTAs
The US pork industry has been restricted from exporting pork to the EU, the seocnd largest consumer group after China, through various tariff and non-tariff trade barriers that it wants to see eliminated
Trade secrets – Draft EU documents reveal trade agenda with US
The only way civil society groups find out about trade negotiations are through one-way conversations or leaked negotiating documents. One such text came our way over the weekend, a set of position papers summarizing some of the EU’s initial goals on regulatory harmonization, writes IATP.
EU-US FTA (TTIP) - EU initial position papers (June 2013)
Initial position papers from the Commission dated 20 June 2013 and leaked by IATP
Obama’s Africa trip bolsters US interests
One major US-Africa issue was unresolved as Air Force One left Tanzania’s tarmac: the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a tariff-free trade deal that was devised during Clinton’s administration and expires in 2015, writes James Reinl for Al Jazeera.
Philip Morris International welcomes decision by World Bank tribunal to hear treaty challenge to Uruguay’s excessive tobacco measures
Philip Morris International (PMI) welcomed the decision by a World Bank arbitration tribunal to hear a claim that Uruguay violated multiple provisions of its Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) with Switzerland.
Japan Tobacco said it sued Thailand over health warnings
Japan Tobacco Inc., Asia’s biggest listed cigarette maker, sued the government of Thailand over a plan to increase the size of health warnings on cigarette packages, claiming the move is unconstitutional.
Trans-Pacific trade deal threatens access to affordable medicines
As host to both the AIDS conference and TPP trade talks this month, Malaysia reportedly vows to reject a TPP trade agreement that harms access to medicines; other countries should follow suit, and Malaysia should be held to its pledge
Regional free trade agreement with Mexico enters into force
A free trade agreement between Central America and Mexico entered into force this week, the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Ministry (COMEX) reported on Monday.
What are BITs, FTAs and the TPPA?
Malaysia should learn from Peru’s experience and be most cautious about signing any BITs or FTAs that a company like Lynas may later use against Malaysia.
Complex trade pacts promote land grabs
Multiplicity of bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and free trade agreements (FTAs) leave room for some investors to take advantage of African resources, it has been asserted at a CUTS meeting in Geneva last week
US-EU FTA: the food safety boomerang
As the EU has just approved the use of lactic acid to decontaminate beef, it will not be able to oppose the entry of US beef produced this way under the EU-US FTA
ACP states dismayed at EU decision to cut sugar quotas in 2017
ACP sugar supplying states are appalled by the decision reached by the EU institutions on Wednesday to abolish EU beet and isoglucose sugar quotas in 2017. Once again, the concerns and expectations of the ACP have not been taken into account in spite of their numerous submissions over the past years.
Turkey aims to complete talks for FTA with Ukraine
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey aims to complete the talks for Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Ukraine as of 2015.