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African experts endorse African template for EPAs
10-Oct-2008
African experts on Friday ended a continental forum on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between European and African countries with the endorsement of proposals towards an African template for EPA negotiations.
Japan trade talks with India hit bottleneck: Official
10-Oct-2008
Prospects of Japan and India reaching a free-trade deal in time for a leaders’ summit this month have weakened, with a number of areas in dispute, a Japanese negotiator said on Thursday.
Silence surrounds trade issues
10-Oct-2008
The trade landscape in Canada could shift rapidly and radically after next week’s election.
Zambia-EU: European Union to sign free trade agreement with Zambia after Ghana and La Côte d’Ivoire
10-Oct-2008 Afrik.com
Zambia will soon sign with the European Union (EU) an interim free trade agreement. Zambia is the first country from the Southern Africa region to do so, while waiting to conclude a full Economic Partnership Agreement (APE) with all countries of Southern Africa.
Seoul, Brussels reaffirm pledge to strike free trade deal by year end
10-Oct-2008 Asia Pulse
South Korea and the European Union (EU) have reaffirmed that they will strike a free trade deal by the end of the year, a top Seoul trade official said Friday.
Guatemala forum decries FTA with US
10-Oct-2008 Political Affairs Magazine
The free trade agreement between Central American and the US has failed to accomplish all the supposed fairness and pledges advocated by its promoters, participants at the Social Forum of the Americas stated here this week.
JPEPA ratification puts RP in more danger vs global crisis
9-Oct-2008
Bilateral deals like JPEPA enables beleaguered countries like Japan to pass their crisis to other economies in the region through more liberalization.
JPEPA: The Romulo-Koumora exchange of notes
9-Oct-2008 PhilStar
The basic norm of international law is that a party to a treaty cannot invoke its internal law, including its Constitution, as a justification for failure to perform its obligation under the treaty. Therefore, JPEPA will prevail over the Philippine Constitution.
Defence industry wants US free trade deal
9-Oct-2008 RNZ
The New Zealand defence industry is renewing calls for a free trade agreement with the United States, which would allow New Zealand companies to compete for a slice of US military contracts.
Japan-GCC: Free trade deal on the way
9-Oct-2008 GDN
The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) is on the verge of signing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Japan, it was revealed yesterday.
L’UA s’inquiète des conséquences des accords commerciaux avec l’Europe
9-Oct-2008 APA
L’Union Africaine s’inquiète beaucoup des effets pervers des Accords de partenariat économique (APE) entre les pays africains et l’Union Européenne sur le calendrier de l’intégration régionale en Afrique.
OATUU opposes EPA
9-Oct-2008 AllAfrica.com
The Organisation of African Trade Unions Unity (OATUU) has joined in the crusade against the signing of the EPA, stating several claims which it believed would cripple the economies of member countries, if they go ahead to sign the agreement.
RP-Japan free trade pact approved
9-Oct-2008 Business World
The Philippine Senate finally gave its concurrence to the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), heeding to Palace appeals for the approval of the country’s first-ever bilateral free trade deal before the congressional break.
By railroading JPEPA, Senate has compromised the country’s sovereignty and patrimony
9-Oct-2008 Bayan
Today is a dark day for the Philippines’ sovereignty and patrimony but we vow to continue our struggle against the JPEPA, say the NO DEAL! Movement and Bayan. We will use all available means — from mass protests to the Supreme Court — to stop its implementation.
Little scope for Europe-Asia FTAs
8-Oct-2008 IPS
Plans to conclude free trade agreements (FTAs) between the European Union and several Asian economies are unlikely to be realised in the near future, a senior Brussels official has conceded.
Food safety, free trade and the election
8-Oct-2008 The Star
What does food safety have to do with free trade? A great deal, argues Common Frontiers, a Canadian group critical of the trend towards economic integration — harmonization, as it’s politely put — of standards under the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Dominican Government loses court round in US$680M suit
8-Oct-2008 Dominican Republic Lawyer
An arbitration tribunal constituted under the France-Dominican Republic Bilateral Investment Treaty released an award last week ruling on the jurisdictional objections raised by the Dominican Republic in a claim brought by TCW and its parent company.
Ghana: Farmers say EPAs would destroy livelihoods
8-Oct-2008 Farm Radio Weekly
Instead of signing the EPAs, Mr. Amoak would like to see his government implement measures to keep foreign rice out of the country.
FTA with Australia by next year
8-Oct-2008 The Star
Malaysia and Australia hope to conclude free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations by 2009, said International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
NGO wants Mauritius to stop EPA negotiations with EU
8-Oct-2008
The Mauritian NGO, Rezistans ek Alternativ, has asked the government to stop the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) process with the European Union (EU) in the midst of the financial, food and energy crisis.