bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo

Articles by language

English
Tagalog
Compromise likely for US trade deal
21-Feb-2011 Stuff
Prime Minister John Key has warned that New Zealanders may have to swallow some difficult trade-offs as the price of a trade deal encompassing the United States.
India “wants” thousands of extra EU visas under trade deal
21-Feb-2011 The Hindu
According to media reports, India wants up to 50,000 extra visas a year spread across EU’s 27 member-States under the proposed India-EU free trade agreement with Britain said to be under pressure to cough up 20,000 of these.
India-EU FTA: Tough negotiations over healthcare norms
21-Feb-2011 Business Standard
Apart from intellectual property concerns, the EU is pushing for harmonisation of standards on medical devices and clinical trials, both of which may benefit large TNCs, in its free trade deal with India
Angola, DRC slow down FTA
21-Feb-2011 Southern Times
The SADC Secretariat has achieved little progress in getting Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo to joining its trade liberalisation process, the Free Trade Area, which has been in existence for nearly three years now.
Stronger IP rights in EU-Korea FTA: Precedent for future FTAs?
20-Feb-2011 IP Watch
On intellectual property protection, the FTA contains the extension of patent rights for pharmaceuticals and data exclusivity, both provisions ardently fought over in the ongoing EU-India FTA negotiations.
Japan-India FTA (2011)
20-Feb-2011 MOFA
Pacific region health groups urge TPP ministers to end harmful impact of FTAs on access to medicines
18-Feb-2011
This week at the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement trade negotiations in Santiago de Chile, civil society stakeholders urged delegates to end the harmful impact of trade agreements on access to medicines, with this letter.
Problems in trade talks with EU
18-Feb-2011 Hindu Business Line
EU is pushing India to relax controls on capital flows and conditions on investment, such as export obligation and local content requirement.
Teamsters head opposes Korean trade pact
18-Feb-2011 DN
Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa, in a break from the Obama administration and the United Auto Workers union, opposes the Korea free trade agreement. "The last thing America’s middle class needs right now is ’Son of NAFTA,’ " Hoffa said.
Solidarity in action: Unionists across North America to protest for Mexican workers’ rights
18-Feb-2011 In These Times
This week, people across the United States and Canada will demonstrate at Mexican consulates and embassies in protest of violations of the right to organize in Mexico. Of particular concern to protesters will be the bitter strikes and repression of unions representing miners and electrical workers, and the escalating practice of government and corporate entities forcibly installing company unions known there as “protection unions.”
Chile official: Asia-Pacific trade bloc may not be ready in 2011
18-Feb-2011 Dow Jones
An Asia-Pacific free-trade agreement nine nations are negotiating might not be ready this year as originally expected, Chile’s chief trade negotiator said Thursday.
New leaks of TPPA text show US is playing hardball
18-Feb-2011 TWN
There has been another leak of the secret documents at the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations in Santiago this week, this time involving United States’ negotiating text.
EU, South Korea trade agreement overcomes final European hurdle
18-Feb-2011 Bloomberg
EU companies that may benefit include pharmaceutical producers GlaxoSmithKline Plc, chemical makers BASF SE, and consumer electronics manufacturers Royal Philips Electronics NV. Farm exporters, shipping businesses and the financial- and legal-services industries also stand to gain.
India, Malaysia to sign free trade pact tomorrow
18-Feb-2011 PTI
India will sign another free trade agreement with Malaysia tomorrow to boost the $8 billion bilateral trade by further reduction of duties by the two countries
Europe ratifies free trade deal with S. Korea
18-Feb-2011 AFP
Europe gave its final approval on Thursday to a major free trade deal with South Korea, eliminating most tariffs in a pact hailed as a model for future agreements with other Asian nations.
S. Korea eyes growing competition following Japan-India FTA
18-Feb-2011 Yonhap
Competition between South Korean and Japanese businesses in India will likely intensify following New Delhi’s signing of a free trade agreement with Tokyo this week, a local trade body said Friday.
Unholy smoke!
17-Feb-2011 DTE
As the Philips Morris case shows, any corporation can potentially sue the Indian government in a bid to block sovereign actions for protecting the wellbeing of its people.
Change EU investment policy - now is the time!
17-Feb-2011 TNI
The European Commission, Council and Parliament are at present discussing the content and directions of the future EU investment policy. Social movements, human rights, development and environmental organisations as well as trade unions must speak out and push for a balanced investment policy.
Czech government wants to scrap US investment treaty
16-Feb-2011 Czech Position
Diplomatic courtesy prompts Czech government to delay move to scrap a disadvantageous investment protection treaty with the US.
EU-Georgia trade talks proving ’difficult’, minister says
16-Feb-2011 EU Observer
Preliminary talks on a free-trade regime are the "most difficult" part of a broad Association Agreement currently being negotiated between Georgia and the EU, possibly due to objections Tbilisi has raised against Russia joining the World Trade Organisation, Georgia’s chief negotiator has said in an interview.