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EU-India FTA: Impacts on women
CENTAD, in partnership with the Heinrich Böll Foundation, have come out recently with 4 reports on trade and gender. The first is a backgrounder (literature review) while the other three are on the gender impact of the EU-India FTA in the fields of agriculture, services and health.
Palestinian BDS National Committee welcomes landmark EU court ruling
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign National Committee welcomes the long overdue ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union that Israeli products originating from Israel’s colonial settlements built on Occupied Palestinian Territory do not qualify for preferential customs treatment under the EC-Israel trade agreement
DPP rejects ECFA report as ‘false front’
A legislative committee meeting to hear a report on the government’s proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China was postponed again after Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers dismissed the report as a “false front.”
Korean, U.S. lawmakers to launch task force to promote KORUS FTA’s ratification
A group of South Korean and U.S. lawmakers will launch a task force to expedite the ratification of the pending free trade deal, South Korean lawmakers said Wednesday.
Brazil readies free trade agreement with Palestine
Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his Development, Industry and Foreign Trade minister Miguel Jorge announced in the Middle East that Brazil and Argentina have already agreed to negotiate a free trade agreement between the Mercosur and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).
South Asia Agreement on Trade: 7 countries to ehance trade in services
South Asia Agreement on Trade in Services among seven South Asian countries including Pakistan and India is expected to end by the end of 2010, official sources informed Daily Times on Monday.
Feasibility study on Indo-Australian FTA to be finalised by April
The feasibility study on the Indo-Australian Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will be finalised by April this year with both governments expected to begin negotiations soon, according to a top Australian official.
The global investment agenda - an OECD perspective
According to the OECD, there are 3000 bilateral and regional investment agreements in existence today yet a reluctance to enforce investor-state arbitral awards. OECD wants to draw up a "Model Investment Treaty" to harmonise things.
Syria: timing of accord depends on EU ’flexibility’
Syria said on Tuesday it will soon restart talks with the European Union on a stalled partnership agreement, but that its timing will depend on the flexibility shown to Damascus over certain points.
Danger and little democracy in new trade agreement with the US
Surveys have consistently shown that most Australians consider the Free Trade Agreement the Howard government signed with the US in 2004 was a bad deal. So why would any Australian government want another trade deal with the US?
US-SA free trade deal still on track
Negotiations for a free trade deal between the Southern African Customs Union and the US are not "dead and buried", a US Embassy official said yesterday.
Europe losing Caribbean’s support
The European Commission has made new trade concessions to Colombia, Peru and Central America on sugar, rice, bananas and rum that may well provoke a Caribbean protest — indeed, a turning away
ECOWAS demands EU’s commitment to development fund
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is urging the European Union (EU) to show real monetary commitment to a proposed development fund for the subregion.
Obama not likely to move for Korea FTA’s ratification this year: scholar
The Obama administration will not likely move for ratification of the pending free trade deal with South Korea this year due to health care reform, the economy and other more pressing issues, a scholar said Monday.
Brazilian president in Israel to mark Mercosur FTA
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio (Lula) da Silva met with President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem today and said that Brazil had given its final approval for a free trade agreement between Israel and the Mercosur bloc (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay). The FTA will come into effect in April.
NGOs call for human rights protection in Colombia-EU FTA
Several South American non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have called on the European Union to put better human rights provisions into its free trade agreement with Colombia
Asian business leaders call for deeper regional economic integration
Japan’s biggest business lobby has been pushing for economic integration within the rapidly growing Asian region, as Japan turns to its neighbors to lift its own economy as it combats deflation.
Imminent EU-S. Korea trade deal will bring £500m benefit to British business
A new UK government report outlines 100 business opportunities for British firms from the EU-Korea FTA
Trans-Pacific Partnership: A US entry to Asian integration
The Asia-Pacific is one place where there’s room for US exports to increase dramatically, and a growing TPP would certainly help on that score. However, free trade deals are never an easy sell, and they become tougher still when the domestic jobs picture is bleak.
Uganda: EU supports law threatening access to medicines
As part of its support to Uganda’s implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and East Africa, the EU is funding the drafting of Kampala’s controversial Counterfeit Goods Bill, which has caused an outcry as it threatens access to life-saving generic medicines in this low income East African country.