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Namibia: Trade Impasse - EU Hits Back
The European Commission (EC) has lashed out at Namibia’s Trade and Industry Minister Hage Geingob, claiming he knew all along that they would not give written assurances on the concessions on infant industry protection, food security, export taxes and the free flow of goods agreed to in the interim economic partnership agreement (EPA) negotiations.
EPA October deadline may be missed
Dr Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, Trade Programme Co-ordinator for Civil Society Organizations in West Africa, is sure that negotiations would probably continue till January 2010 since both the EU and ECOWAS had not agreed on the percentage of the market they intend to be liberalized.
Deny neoliberal consensus
Right now, the EU’s EPAs are devastating Africa’s regional economic blocs through divide-and-conquer, reversing the resistance we saw from African countries a year ago.
West Africa: Regional EPA targets October
The European Union and the West African countries have agreed to conclude a regional agreement on trade in goods and development cooperation by October 2009.
RI, NZ bilateral FTA arrangements to conclude within months: FM
Indonesian and New Zealand Free Trade Agreement talks under the auspices of the ASEAN bloc have been progressing well despite the economic crisis and both countries expect the bilateral arrangement can be concluded within months, say foreign ministers.
FTAs intensify competition in imported beef market
The United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are all vying for Korea’s beef market through FTAs, with Australia currently gaining ground.
Asean-Canada trade, investment pact closer
Asean and Canada will soon finalise consideration of a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), preparing the way for free-trade agreement negotiations.
Argentine crisis arbitration awards pile up, but investors still wait for a payout
It’s time for the US Department of State to pressure Argentina to comply with its treaty obligations, some lawyers suggest.
Many US House Democrats want trade policy revamp
Political pressure grew on President Barack Obama to reconsider pending trade deals with Panama, Colombia and South Korea as over 100 lawmakers called on Wednesday for a massive revamp of US trade policy.
106 members of Congress introduce TRADE Act, promote a better trade model
Endorsed by more than a dozen fair trade groups, the TRADE Act would revamp US trade policy.
Geingob sheds light on EPAs
The Minister of Trade and Industry Dr Hage Geingob yesterday provided rare behind-the-scene reasons that have kept the protracted Economic Partnership Agreement between Namibia and the European Union from being concluded despite months of negotiations.
Protecting foreign investment from political risk
In today’s risk averse environment investment protection agreements are also increasingly attractive to protect pension and mutual fund investments.
Medvedev trip looks to secure Africa’s riches
President Dmitry Medvedev is embarking Tuesday on a four-day African tour, beginning with a visit to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak before moving on to Nigeria, Namibia and Angola. Medvedev’s trip appears focused on helping Russian companies gain additional access to the continent’s natural resources wealth.
Korea, India to expedite free trade deal
Foreign ministers from Korea and India agreed on Tuesday to expedite a bilateral free trade agreement between the two countries.
Peruvian violence prompts concerns over Canada’s push for free trade deals
While a great deal of scrutiny has been directed toward Canada’s free trade agreement with Colombia, there has been little said about a similar deal with Peru. In fact, last Wednesday, on one of the final days of Parliament, that agreement barely made a ripple as it quietly received Royal Assent.
“India and Eu’s combined strategy for the free-trade pact worsen its position at WTO”
The most affected from the EU-India FTA will be India’s dairy farming sector, where regularly five million women and 15 million men work to meet their daily needs.
Vicious sting in the tail of FTAs
What is slowly emerging is the beginning of a composite oppositition to FTAs in India.
Murder in Peru: Indigenous rights and corporate interests
Alan Garcia has gotten Peru into an incredibly difficult situation. It is only too likely that governments of nearby countries, like Colombia, will soon find themselves in similarly frustrating situations, whereby foreign investors’ intrinsic power would be equal to, or even greater than, the host government’s ability to legislate on the behalf of the population.
Jordan-Canada FTA ’in final stages’
"This is the fastest FTA we have ever negotiated," says Canada’s ambassador in Amman.
RP set to ratify free-trade pact with Australia, New Zealand
While not part of the official AANZFTA negotiations, the Philippine government is preparing to ratify the free-trade agreement it signed as a member of ASEAN with the governments of Australia and New Zealand.