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KORUS FTA concessions part of MB’s U.S.-centered strategy, analysts say
In their South Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) renegotiations, South Korea and the United States agreed to draft and submit an additional accord to their respective legislative bodies that includes full-scale revisions to the auto provisions of the previous agreement formally signed in 2007.
Intellectual Property Rights Office urged
Caribbean companies will have access to European programs designed to support innovation among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), according to a CARICOM trade specialist, who yesterday urged that Bahamian businesses should look to offer products or services "with a unique advantage that people are willing to pay a premium price for".
Bahamian firms decry absence of EPA information
Stakeholders from the financial services, legal and accountancy professions yesterday expressed concern about a lack of access to information on how the Bahamian private sector can take advantage of opportunities arising from the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe.
WTO to force 50% Bahamas tariff reduction
A CARICOM trade specialist warned yesterday that the revenue losses the Bahamas will suffer from signing on to the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe will be little compared to the "much more significant impact" that will be felt from new free trade deals with the US and Canada.
EU, SADC teams miss EPA deadline
SADC states and the European Union have missed the year-end deadline for the completion and signing of a full Economic Partnership Agreement, a target set in June and designed to bring finality to the complex process.
Chief EU delegate rules out renegotiation of FTA
The chargé d’affaires of the European Union delegation to Korea said Thursday that the EU will not demand renegotiation of its free trade deal with Seoul in the wake of Korea’s additional free trade negotiations with the US.
Building blocks laid for trade deal
What was achieved in the fourth round of negotiations, and why exactly a TPP would be good for New Zealand, remains a mystery – strictly controlled daily media briefings with Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry chief negotiator Mark Sinclair were short and impenetrable.
Farmers happy at trade policy shake-up
Australia’s federal government wants to introduce trade reform that focuses less on geopolitical concerns and more on national productivity.
CIS summit to focus on free trade area
Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan are to create a free trade area and single econonmic area
AFL-CIO, Steelworkers split with auto union on Korea trade deal
The AFL-CIO, the largest US union group, and the United Steelworkers oppose the Obama administration’s trade agreement with South Korea, splitting with unions representing auto and farm workers.
S. Korea, Malaysia seek bilateral FTA, closer ties on energy, defense
In 2007, South Korea launched an FTA with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes Malaysia, but Seoul hopes for a higher-level separate FTA with the country, one of South Korea’s major economic partners.
US group stands by intellectual property protection
An influential American business lobby, the US Chamber of Commerce, has hit out at New Zealand’s position on intellectual property rights in the TransPacific Partnership trade talks.
Q&A: Business Europe: ’India has advantage compared to the other BRIC countries’
Philippe de Buck, secretary general of Business Europe, the most influential EU industry lobby in the region, spoke to Pallavi Aiyar to reflect on the European businesses’ perspective on the potential trade accord.
EPAs bound to stir unhealthy competition
Kenya Human Rights Commission has called on the government to discontinue Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) negotiations with the European Union arguing that if signed would deepen dependency on Europe.
With UAW’s King for cover, Obama backhands labor in Korea trade deal
UAW sources suggest King felt he had to back the trade deal as payback to Obama for pumping billions into failing automakers in 2009—although the bailout of Chrysler and GM laid off tens of thousands of workers and cut pay—in half—for future auto workers.
South Korean farmers protest against free trade agreement with US
South Korean farmers staged a protest on Wednesday, urging their government to abolish the US- South Korea free trade agreement.
US union backing helps Korea trade pact chances
An unusual split in the US labor movement has developed over President Obama’s proposed free-trade pact with South Korea, with two powerful unions backing the deal — a development that experts say will make Congressional ratification far more likely.
Retailers protest against European push for FDI in retail
Thousands of retailers marched in the streets of Delhi against the onslaught of neo-liberal economic policies, raising slogans against supermarkets, free trade agreements (FTA), forward trading and goods and services tax.
MEPs protest FTA with Colombia
Members of the European Parliament say that the EU’s free trade agreement with Colombia should not be approved as there has been little progress on human rights in the Andean nation, reports ABC.
Korea, EU to reopen talks about car provisions in FTA
Korea will hold talks with the EU over vehicle gas mileage and greenhouse gas emission standards in the free trade agreement after renegotiations of the FTA with the US opened the door for adjustments.