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Canada urged to reject TPP drug patent proposal as bad for poor countries
17-Jul-2013
Canada is pushing back against a campaign by activists trying to block what they say are onerous intellectual property rules that would raise the price of pharmaceuticals in poor countries.
Free-trade push may open door to China
17-Jul-2013
Australia will undertake a major rethink of its investment stance towards China, with the Rudd government now prepared to discuss reducing hurdles to Chinese investment as it strives to conclude a free trade agreement with Beijing.
The rush toward Asia-Pacific FTAs
17-Jul-2013
Following the recent launch of free trade negotiations between the United States and the European Union, there are now three mega-trade-and-investment liberalization blocs being shaped in various parts of the world.
China welcomes faster FTA talks with Australia
17-Jul-2013
China appreciated Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s positive attitude in advancing talks for a free trade pact, Shen Danyang, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, told a news briefing on Wednesday.
EU publishes initial TTIP position papers
17-Jul-2013 EU
The European Commission has taken the "unprecedented" step of publicly releasing several of its position papers for the EU-US FTA negotiations, after they were widely leaked by media and activists and after some European governments complained about Brussels’ lack of transparency.
Lilly ramps up NAFTA fight over loss of patents
17-Jul-2013 Globe and Mail
US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Co. has escalated a challenge it launched last year against Canada’s patent rules under the North American free-trade agreement, and is now demanding $500-million in compensation after the company lost its Canadian patents on two drugs.
Namibia Dairies wants milk import restrictions
16-Jul-2013
Namibia Dairies has applied to the Ministry of Trade and Industry for the introduction of ’Quantitive Restrictions’; a move that will limit the amount of imported dairy products into Namibia.
Customs regime: Is it vital for Zambia?
16-Jul-2013
The history of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) began in December 1994, when it was formed to replace the Preferential Trade Area (PTA), which had existed from the earlier days of 1981.
The challenges of the Pacific Alliance: Regional sovereignty in Latin America or a pampered periphery
16-Jul-2013 Upside Down World
Two projects of regional association are facing off in South America: the Pacific Alliance and UNASUR.
TPP talks kick off in Malaysia; Japan waits
16-Jul-2013 Kyodo
The 18th round of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations began Monday in Malaysia as Japan prepares to make its debut near the end of the 11-day conference.
‘Promotion of SAARC trade top priority’
15-Jul-2013
Promotion of trade among SAARC countries is one of the top priorities of the government, said Federal Minister for Finance Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar talking to Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody High Commissioner of Sri Lanka.
The US-EU trade deal: don’t buy the hype
15-Jul-2013 The Guardian
There has been a big push out of Washington to convince the public that an economic bonanza awaits us if we can just complete a trade deal with the European Union. This is complete nonsense, unless we define down bonanza to mean finding a quarter on the street.
Moves to fast-track China trade deal
15-Jul-2013
Kevin Rudd will accelerate efforts to stitch up a fresh trade deal with China ahead of the election and plans to send new Trade Minister Richard Marles to hold top-level talks in Beijing next week.
Government likely to review bilateral trade pacts, FTAs to reassess gains
15-Jul-2013
The government may review India’s bilateral trade pacts including free trade agreements (FTAs) amid increasing clamour from the industry against conceding foreign trading partners more access to the country’s market without extracting significant gains in return.
A cautionary tale: Laos violates another Sanum agreement
15-Jul-2013
Sanum Investments Limited ("Sanum") had seemingly found a winning formula with its hospitality and entertainment enterprises in Lao PDR, until the Government arbitrarily revoked licences, cancelled concessions, imposed wrongful tax penalties and, most significantly, forcibly took control of its highly lucrative Thanaleng Slot Club.
Vice economics minister calls for new procedures in FTA talks
15-Jul-2013
Vice Economic Affairs Minister Cho Shih-chao agreed Monday with suggestions that a set of standard operating procedures be established in negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs) to strike a balance between confidentiality and open information.
Japanese farmers struggle to make election choices over TPP
15-Jul-2013 Mainichi
With upper house elections approaching, Japanese farmers are skeptical about the Liberal Democratic Party after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced his intention to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations.
US activists praise Europe’s ways in trade talks
15-Jul-2013 AP
American activists urged European trade negotiators on Wednesday not to weaken environmental and food standards as they begin talks in Washington on a trans-Atlantic free trade agreement.
Cargill flouts law to secretly build land bank in Colombia
15-Jul-2013 Corpwatch
Investors started arriving in droves when Colombia and the US negotiated and signed a free trade agreement in May 2012 and they are now looking to acquire land.
India agrees to negotiate bilateral investment treaty with US
15-Jul-2013 Hindustan Times
India told the US on Friday it was ready to negotiate a Bilateral Investment Treaty, knocking down yet another irritant bedeviling business ties between the two countries.