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JA at crossroads / TPP, agriculture can coexist / But reform of huge farming federation is unavoidable
18-Jan-2011 Yomiuri Shimbun
The success or failure of advancing Japan’s trade liberalization while strengthening the agricultural sector will largely hinge on the prospects for reforming agricultural cooperatives, known as JA.
’Jasmine Revolution’ jolts EU’s north Africa strategy
18-Jan-2011 EU Observer
Sweden’s foreign minister and ex-prime minister, Carl Bildt, has called the EU’s north African strategy a "failure" of democracy in the wake of Tunisia’s ’Jasmine Revolution.’
Protest against CETA at the European Commission in Brussels
18-Jan-2011 rabble.ca
This morning the Council of Canadians joined with Canadian allies — the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the National Farmers Union, the Indigenous Environmental Network, ATTAC-Quebec, Alternatives — and European allies — Friends of the Earth Europe, the UK Tar Sands Network, La Via Campesina Europe — in front of the European Commission headquarters in Brussels to denounce the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and the tar sands.
Protesters invade British government office over tar sands trade deal
17-Jan-2011 rabble.ca
On Friday morning, a group of protesters invaded Britain’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and are demanding a meeting with Stephen Green, the new minister for trade. Calling themselves the "Big Society Trade Negotiators," they are concerned that trade negotiations between the EU and Canada, due to start in Brussels on Monday, will dramatically boost Europe’s involvement in the Canadian tar sands — the most destructive project on earth.
Trade Justice Network to challenge Canada-EU free trade talks in Brussels, Strasbourg
17-Jan-2011 TJN
Members of the Trade Justice Network, which comprises over two dozen Canadian environmental, labour, Indigenous, farmers, and social justice organizations critical of the CETA negotiations, will travel to Brussels and Strasbourg next week to meet with European decision makers and civil society groups to express their opposition to the deal.
Free trade critic warns of ’secondary liability’
17-Jan-2011 Business Day
Staunch Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement critic Jane Kelsey says a campaign by the powerful US entertainment industry to use the proposed free trade deal to make internet firms liable for illegal user downloads must not succeed.
Interview: China-ASEAN FTA adds new vitality into Sino-Philippine economic and trade cooperation: official
17-Jan-2011 Xinhua
"It’s fair to say the Philippines is becoming one of the main destinations for Chinese companies to make overseas investment," says Wu Zhengping, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese embassy in the Philippines.
Drug-tainted US beef removed from Taiwan markets
17-Jan-2011 AFP
Three shipments of US beef have been pulled from Taiwan’s shelves after they were found to contain Ractopamine, an official said Sunday.
US warns Japan of high goals for Pacific FTA
17-Jan-2011 Kyodo
The United States said Friday it has told Japan that its broad goals for a trans-Pacific free trade accord "exceed" those Washington has pursued in previous free trade pacts, signaling that Tokyo must make unprecedented efforts to eliminate all tariffs.
Big tobacco takes fight over plain cigarette packs to free trade agreement
16-Jan-2011
Big tobacco is hoping a new multilateral free trade agreement will enable it to sue the Federal Government if Australia introduces plain packaging for cigarettes in mid-2012 as planned.
TPP jitters spur protest statements
16-Jan-2011 Japan Times
A total of 46 local assemblies in Japan have adopted statements to express opposition to or caution in participating in a US-backed Pacific free-trade initiative, a survey indicated Sunday.
Japan to speed up discussions on Pacific FTA under new Cabinet
16-Jan-2011 Mainichi
Discussions on whether Japan should join a U.S.-backed free trade initiative are expected to accelerate under the revamped Cabinet toward a self-imposed June deadline, with new trade minister Banri Kaieda expected to play a key role in pushing for the country’s participation in negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Farmers lobby for improved access to EU
16-Jan-2011 Times Live
South African agricultural groups are lobbying to rectify the highly skewed trade relationship with the European Union, looking for improved market access for a number of products including wine, sugar and canned fruit.
Korea free trade agreement draws protests in SF
16-Jan-2011 KGO-TV
Outside the Federal Building at Seventh and Mission streets in San Francisco, California Fair Trade Coalition Director Tim Robertson beat the drum against the proposed free trade agreement with Korea.
Ghana to sign interim EPA agreement with EU
14-Jan-2011 Citifmonline
Ghana will go ahead and sign an Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (IEPA) with the European Union this year following the lack of progress at the ECOWAS level.
Obama gov’t wants Congress to approve Korea FTA before July: Kirk
14-Jan-2011 Yonhap
The Obama administration wants Congress to ratify the free-trade deal with South Korea before a similar pact between South Korea and the European Union goes into effect in July, the chief U.S. trade official said Thursday.
Joining TPP could have China fallout
14-Jan-2011 Asahi Shimbun
Japan’s apparent eagerness to join the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade initiative could kill the momentum to forge free trade agreements with China and South Korea
Rally to stop the Korea-US FTA (14 Jan 2011 in SF)
14-Jan-2011
As the Obama administration moves closer to introducing the NAFTA-style Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) to Congress, citizens and activists will join Kim Kyung-Ran, Director of External Relations for the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, in a rally to oppose the deal.
From NAFTA to CETA: Canada-EU Deep Economic Integration
13-Jan-2011 Global Research
While Canada does need to lessen its dependency on the U.S. economy, CETA is based on the failed NAFTA trade model and will only serve to accelerate the corporate takeover of the country.As talks enter their final crucial stages, there are growing concerns over the threat CETA poses to Canadian sovereignty. Coupled with the financial turmoil sweeping Europe, deep economic integration with the EU could prove disastrous.
Brit official goads Philippines on free trade talks with EU
13-Jan-2011 BusinessWorld
A visiting British state official urged the Philippines yesterday to pick up its pace towards starting free trade talks with the European Unio, saying an agreement would boost export sales of all parties involved and also attract more investors into Manila’s public-private partnership projects for infrastructure.